Neil Askew - Meningitis Not Recognised by NHS Hospital

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Neil Askew aged 11 years and an only child, died due to an NHS Hospital Blunder. Then 'evidence was withheld' during 3 enquiries into a complaint into his death. Hospital staff had been warned that Neil was suffering from a rash before his arrival at Whipps Cross NHS Hospital.
A rash can be a sign of meningitis!

Whipps Cross NHS Hospital eventually admitted that staff 'failed to recognise that Neil had meningitis' and that 'there was a delay in instituting appropriate treatment'.

Click here to read how evidence was withheld and how eventually it was admitted that NHS staff failed to recognise that Neil had meningitis.

Neil's Story as told by his father Chris Askew.

'Neil became unwell on Sunday the 29/12/96; he vomited and said he did not feel well, but perked up a bit in the evening.
On the Monday morning 30/12/96, I went to work and Lyn my wife checked on Neil, and found a mauve mark on the top of his foot, he complained of a headache.
Lyn telephoned the Doctor's surgery, and got an appointment for 11a.m. Neil was seen at about 11.40a.m. by a locum Doctor who examined him and straight away telephoned Whipps Cross NHS Hospital and spoke with the paediatric Senior House Officer.
The Doctor explained Neil’s symptoms and wrote a letter to the Hospital and told my wife to take Neil there.
When I got a copy of this letter, some time later, although it does not use the word meningitis, it lists all the symptoms of it and whether Neil had them or not.
My wife & Neil arrived at Whipps Cross NHS Hospital at 12.45p.m. Neil went straight to the toilet to be sick while Lyn handed the letter to the triage nurse and was told to take a seat.
I arrived at Whipps Cross NHS Hospital at about 2pm and Neil had NOT been seen by any medical staff.
I went to the triage desk and asked how long it would be and was told 'not long'.
At 2.20p.m. Neil was seen by the same nurse that Lyn had seen on arrival at 12.45p.m. and that I had spoken to at 2.00p.m.
We showed this same nurse the towel that Neil had been sick on as it was bright yellow and we had not seen anything like this before, she seemed unconcerned and told us to go to the paediatric waiting room.
At about 4.00p.m. Neil’s eyes began to roll and I tried to get someone to help, I finally found a nurse who examined Neil and she said that the Doctor would see Neil next.
As I helped Neil into the Doctor's room, he climbed onto the bed and collapsed. He was taken to the resuscitation room. Neil was transferred to St Mary’s NHS Hospital (Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust).
(Whipps Cross NHS Hospital did NOT have a Paediatric Intensive Care ward. An NHS Hospital with Paediatric Intensive Care services was St. Mary's in Paddington, which is part of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust). This NHS Hospital also specialises in Meningitis.
Neil NEVER regained consciousness and died 31/12/96.

We went through the Local Resolution and Independent Review of the NHS Complaints procedure, which upheld our complaint.
I then went to the Healthcare Ombudsman because we still did not have all the answers.
The Healthcare Ombudsman did NOT look into Neil’s case and when I finally obtained my subject data from the Healthcare Ombudsman, it stated that “The Askew’s are paranoid the Hospital are holding back information”.

Shortly after this I decided to go to the hospital to check my copy of Neil’s medical notes with the original medical records. I asked where was the “Green Form”?
The 'Green Form' was the original document filled in after the G.P. had telephoned Whipps Cross NHS Hospital with the urgent referral.
We had always been told that this form only said “Headache”.
I was told I could not see the form, but that one would be sent to me.
When we received the form it actually said “Headache & Rash”.

I then went back to the Healthcare Ombudsman who looked into the case and upheld the complaint.
We battled on for an Inquest and after being sent from one Coroner to another, as none wanted to instigate an Enquiry, an Inquest WAS held in 2003. 7 years after Neil Askew's death.

We made a complaint to the GMC (General Medical Council) about the SHO, (Senioe House Officer) but they did nothing.

We made a complaint to the UKCC now the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council)about the nurse but to no avail.

The hospital settled out of court, but as it was never about compensation - we sent the funds to St Mary’s Hospital who had tried to save Neil for us.

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