A 19-year-old university student tragically died from sepsis after trying more than 20 times to get through a GP surgery.
According to reports, Tony Hudson could not speak to a doctor in Weymouth, Dorset because of a faulty phone system. He tried again the following day but when he managed to get through a receptionist, he was told that he couldn’t get an appointment for two days as he was registered at another surgery in Hampshire.
The student then decided to go to a walk-in center in Weymouth Community Hospital where he was misdiagnosed with tonsillitis.
Hudson’s condition quickly deteriorated and his worried parents contacted emergency services.
The teen went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance but was did not get to Dorset County Hospital right away as the secondary team of paramedics attended the wrong address.
Sadly, Hudson passed away two days after he sought medical attention at the Wyke Regis and Lanehouse Medical Practice where he had been a patient.
A post mortem discovered that the 19-year-old died from multiple organ failure due to sepsis that stemmed from infectious glandular fever.
Dr. Matthew Brook, a partner at the Wake Regis and Lanehouse Medical Practice, admitted problems with the phone system.
“We were having tremendous problems with our phone system which could not handle a much higher number of calls,” Dr. Brook said.
“We had updated the system but it was not working correctly. There was a queuing system but in a lot of cases people were waiting a long time and then hanging up.
“We have had a review since then and nobody recalled taking the call from Toby.”
Briony Jefferis, a nurse practitioner, said she was “not remotely worried” about the teen’s symptoms when she checked him at the urgent care center in Weymouth Community Hospital.
“He was seen by a triage nurse and then by myself around ten minutes later,” she said. “He had a normal temperature of 36.1 degrees, a heart rate of 102bpm and rated his pain at an eight out of ten.”
The nurse practitioner continued: “He did not show any signs of sepsis and his symptoms were consistent with those of tonsillitis.
“He was given penicillin and told to return if he did not feel an improvement over the next two days. Neither myself nor the triage nurse were remotely worried.”
Hudson’s grieving father, Peter, said of the night he died: “I felt there was no urgency. I had to press for action to be taken and for our concerns to be heard. There were issues with communication. The backup crew went to our home address and at from what neighbours have told me they had trouble finding the house.”
Peter continued: “They were knocking on doors before they realised what had happened.
“They then had to travel almost three miles to where the ambulance actually was through Weymouth summer traffic and through roadworks.
“We have a lot of concerns about his care.”
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!
Replaced!