A teenage girl lost her life to meningitis following a misdiagnosis at a Nottingham hospital, according to evidence presented at an inquest.
Fifteen-year-old Zara Cheesman passed away on December 23 last year after medical professionals at Queen's Medical Centre initially concluded she was suffering from a stomach bug.
The teenager's parents maintain that NHS personnel failed to act on two critical opportunities that could have prevented her death.
Despite medical staff acknowledging meningitis as a possibility during her initial hospital visit, she was sent home without undergoing blood tests that might have confirmed the diagnosis.
Doctors believed Zara was suffering from a stomach bug
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The inquest at Nottingham coroner's court revealed that Zara first fell ill on December 19, experiencing severe vomiting and collapsing at approximately 1 am.
Her mother contacted NHS 111 after Zara complained of neck and shoulder discomfort, and they were directed to attend A&E.
During the hospital visit, a trainee nurse practitioner identified meningitis as a potential diagnosis, though the patient was considered to have a stomach bug.
Dr Derek Huffadine, a paediatric emergency medicine registrar, acknowledged considering meningitis but chose not to order blood tests before releasing Zara from the hospital.
"I feel that at that time it was difficult to say she had meningitis. It was in early form in terms of the presentation," Dr Huffadine told the inquest.
The following day, East Midlands Ambulance Service personnel responded to the family home after Zara awoke in a confused state.
The inquest heard that her parents felt the technicians failed to conduct a thorough examination and were dismissive of their concerns.
"We believe they decided she had norovirus. We did not think we were being taken seriously," the parents stated.
When Zara's father enquired about the possibility of meningitis, a technician dismissed this concern.
The family reported that one technician actively discouraged them from returning to the hospital, despite Zara displaying symptoms of confusion and delirium that her parents recognised as warning signs.
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The 15-year-old was sent home without undergoing blood tests that might have confirmed the diagnosis
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Paramedics eventually transported Zara to the hospital the following morning after she fell from the sofa and became unresponsive. She died at 2.25 pm on December 23.
"The nurse practitioner suspected meningitis. Antibiotics should have been given as soon as possible," her parents stated at the inquest.
They expressed their belief that medical professionals from two NHS trusts had failed them, missing both opportunities to save their daughter's life. "Zara died of meningitis, which is easily treatable," they said.
Her mother described Zara as an exceptional student with aspirations to become a human rights lawyer.
The teenager was characterised as "incredibly kind, empathetic, intelligent, funny, often stubborn and highly opinionated".