Swine Flu Error Girl Tells Of NHS Nightmare

Swine Flu Error Girl Tells Of NHS Nightmare

news.sky.com

A girl whose meningitis was misdiagnosed as swine flu has told Sky News how she had to pretend she had taken an overdose so paramedics would take her to hospital.

Gemma's condition is now said to be stable

Even then, 17-year-old Gemma Drury, from Brimington, Chesterfield, was discharged from hospital after another misdiagnosis and told to go home to bed.

After her illness worsened she was rushed back to hospital where the life-threatening meningitis was finally discovered.

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God this is just horrible, she was misdiagnosed and sent home twice!!!!! its lucky that it didnt end worse than it did, meningitis can be a horrible thing, that can leave you paralyzed and worse case dead!

Mr Drury added: "It was a paramedic who first said it wasn't swine flu. No one at the hospital apologised for their mistake.

"A doctor called us into a room and said it was meningitis and Gemma had a 50/50 chance - we were devastated."

Gemma's condition is now said to be stable.

A spokesperson for the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust said: "At her initial visit to our emergency department, Gemma reported flu-like symptoms and had been taking antivirals prescribed for suspected swine flu

to be honest this doesnt excuse what happened in my books they should have investigated more

news.sky.com
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This sort of thing happens more than you might like to know. My brother went to the E.D. complaining of "stomach hurts". No one asked him WHERE his stomach hurt. To a layman the "stomach" is everything from nipples to crotch, when, in fact, there's quite a bit in there besides your stomach.

Turned out it was his spleen and he had leukemia. He died 9 months later when it was too late to treat.

The E.D. had given him a Tums and sent him home.

At least the girl in this story had the sense to play the game and demand treatment one way or another. Sad she had to go through this. I guess with "free" healthcare, you get what you pay for.

its kind of pathetic it gets to somthing like this, actually having to fake an overdose to get attention , and yea its a scary thought that this happens alot in hospitals now a days