UK: Five-year-old, turned away by doctors for being late, died
In January'15, five-year-old Ellie-May Clark was turned away by the doctor for being a few minutes late for her 'emergency appointment.' She died hours later. More than three years after that day, a coroner's inquest ruled yesterday that the Grange Clinic in Newport, Wales (UK), had "missed" a chance to "provide potentially life-saving treatment" to the child. Here's what happened on the fateful day.
On January 26, Ellie-May, who had asthma problems, fell sick
On January 26, 2015, Ellie-May, who suffered from asthma issues, started breathing heavily and fell sick. Her mother Shanice requested a home-visit, but was instead given an appointment for 25 minutes later. She told the receptionist she had to wrap up some chores so she might be late. Shanice says she reached five minutes late, but they asked her to return the next day.
Hours later, she died in another hospital
"Why won't the doctor see me?" asked little Ellie-May that day, recalled Shanice at the inquest. The doctors didn't even ask what was wrong with her, she said. Once back, she continued checking on her daughter every 10-15 minutes. At night, she fell off the bed, coughing, and turned blue. Shanice called an ambulance but Ellie-May died. The cause of death was bronchial asthma.
'Ellie-May was let down by the failures in the system'
Former Grange Clinic receptionist differs; she said the Clarks were late by 18 minutes whereas the facility operated under a strict "10-minute rule." In its verdict, the coroner wrote that though it can't be concluded whether Ellie-May could have been saved, "nonetheless she should have been seen by a (doctor) and was let down by the failures in the system."
Clarks 'disappointed that a finding of neglect wasn't reached'
Afterwards, the Clarks issued a statement saying they were "disappointed that a finding of neglect was not reached," but "acknowledged an apology from Dr Joanne Rowe" who had refused to see Ellie-May. The coroner will write to the administration for taking necessary preventive measures.
