Below is a tragic story of a boy who was misdiagnosed and... well you read the story.
I'm no fan of the Triage system because I see it as nothing more than a way to cut cost whilst pretending to offer the same service. Doctors and private out of hours companies use the Triage system for different reasons than it was originally intended. Because of that I believe we will see more tragedies like this.
My question is are you a fan of this system?
What are your thoughts.
A nurse told the parents of a boy who died 24 hours later of acute appendicitis they had ‘nothing to worry about’ in a telephone diagnosis.
Out-of-hours doctors service Serco admitted at an inquest in Truro a Triage Nurse had not ‘asked enough questions’ of worried Dad Lee Kerrigan.
Mr Kerrigan took his son Ethan to Penrice Hospital in the early hours of June 15th last year.
They told him to ring Serco, and when he did, the nurse asked him to examine his son’s abdomen himself, outside in the car park.
After that, she sent the family home with advice to take IBuprofen, fill a hot water bottle, and go to their GP the next day.
When the Ethan did turn up the following day at Roche surgery, he collapsed and died.
His vomiting for days on end had actually been an effect of killer acute gangrenous appendicitis.
Mr Kerrigan and Ethan’s mother Theresa Commons insisted the Serco nurse told them there was ‘nothing to worry about’ during her call.
And Serco spokeswoman Jackie Whitmarsh confirmed that a probe by the private company had found that the nurse had ‘failed to ask enough questions’.
After the tragedy, they put her under ’six months’ close supervision’ and wrote new ‘guidance’ for all staff on how to deal with abdominal pain in youngsters.
Assistant Cornwall Coroner Barrie van den Berg recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
Both Ethan’s parents thanked doctors at their GP surgery, and also at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske for their efforts to save their little boy’s life.
Mr Kerrigan, from Roche, told the BBC after the case his son was a “lovely, caring little boy”. He added: “I’m so proud he was my boy.”
The Deputy Assistant Coroner recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
I'm no fan of the Triage system because I see it as nothing more than a way to cut cost whilst pretending to offer the same service. Doctors and private out of hours companies use the Triage system for different reasons than it was originally intended. Because of that I believe we will see more tragedies like this.
My question is are you a fan of this system?
What are your thoughts.
A nurse told the parents of a boy who died 24 hours later of acute appendicitis they had ‘nothing to worry about’ in a telephone diagnosis.
Out-of-hours doctors service Serco admitted at an inquest in Truro a Triage Nurse had not ‘asked enough questions’ of worried Dad Lee Kerrigan.
Mr Kerrigan took his son Ethan to Penrice Hospital in the early hours of June 15th last year.
They told him to ring Serco, and when he did, the nurse asked him to examine his son’s abdomen himself, outside in the car park.
After that, she sent the family home with advice to take IBuprofen, fill a hot water bottle, and go to their GP the next day.
When the Ethan did turn up the following day at Roche surgery, he collapsed and died.
His vomiting for days on end had actually been an effect of killer acute gangrenous appendicitis.
Mr Kerrigan and Ethan’s mother Theresa Commons insisted the Serco nurse told them there was ‘nothing to worry about’ during her call.
And Serco spokeswoman Jackie Whitmarsh confirmed that a probe by the private company had found that the nurse had ‘failed to ask enough questions’.
After the tragedy, they put her under ’six months’ close supervision’ and wrote new ‘guidance’ for all staff on how to deal with abdominal pain in youngsters.
Assistant Cornwall Coroner Barrie van den Berg recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
Both Ethan’s parents thanked doctors at their GP surgery, and also at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske for their efforts to save their little boy’s life.
Mr Kerrigan, from Roche, told the BBC after the case his son was a “lovely, caring little boy”. He added: “I’m so proud he was my boy.”
The Deputy Assistant Coroner recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
