Hospital 'missed several opportunities' to save life of teenager, 15, who died from a brain condition

The stepfather of a schoolgirl who died of a brain condition after doctors failed to carry out basic tests that may have helped save her life has spoken of his regret at not taking her to a different hospital.
Mbarek Aitmarri said that his 15-year-old daughter Amie Miller's death was treated like 'collateral damage' by evasive staff at Basildon Hospital.
An inquest concluded today that the failing hospital missed several opportunities to save the GCSE student's life.

Amie Miller, 15, died after she was admitted to hospital after she began vomiting and fitting

 

He said: 'For us there's no doubt that systematic failings caused Amie's death.
'I drove her to hospital and I ask myself everyday whether, if I had taken her to another hospital, she would still be alive.'
Amie was taken to Basildon Hospital A&E in November 2008 after suffering headaches, fitting and vomiting while studying for mock exams at Grays Convent High School in Thurrock, Essex.
She died from swelling of the brain three days later.
A jury returned a narrative verdict, saying that the medics had seriously failed to meet Amie's needs by failing to carry out basic checks, administering inappropriate treatment and failing to properly communicate with one another.
The family had been fighting to find out what caused their daughter's death for five years before today's verdict.

Amie was admitted to Basildon Hospital in Essex after suffering headaches, vomiting and fitting

Mr Aitmarri said: 'From the moment Amie died we faced constant evasion and were passed from one person to another.
'We feel our daughter has been treated as collateral damage and there's no real recognition of our loss.
'It has taken five years to reach this stage and, if our concerns had been addressed sooner, perhaps other people's lives could have been saved.
'Procedures have not changed in five years - the inquest heard basic neurological checks are still not carried out as standard. It is this which worries us most.'
The schoolgirl's family told how she was a promising student who had dreamed of becoming a paediatrician.
She died of encephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain.
The origin of her condition, characterised by vomiting and flu-like symptoms, is unknown.

Amie was kept on an adult ward at the hospital because of a shortage of beds at London's paediatric intensive care units

Doctors believed that her condition was improving and missed signs that she was in fact deteriorating.
Dr Michel Sun Wai told the inquest: 'I didn't worry too much about Amie because I believed her to be a young girl getting better.'
Errors included misinterpreting the results of a CT scan and failing to carry out a MRI scan which would have identified the condition, despite one being recommended.

'A number of changes have since been introduced in the treatment of children and adults with neurological illness, including the introduction of more regular observations.'

A Basildon Hospital spokesman

Basic neurological checks were not carried out and a lumbar puncture - a procedure to check the bacteria in her blood - may have been carried out inappropriately and actually exacerbated her condition.
She was also given propofol - a sedative only meant for adults - which could have masked crucial warning signs.
Basildon Hospital is currently under special measures and was one of 14 named by NHS England medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh's report into abnormally high death rates.
A month ago the hospital was fined £100,000 after a court heard two patients died after a chronic outbreak of legionella.
He said the family would now work with solicitors to pursue regulatory, disciplinary and criminal action against the hospital.
Amie's mother, Sonia Aitmarri, who works as a pharmaceutical technician at Basildon Hospital, spoke of her loss.
She added: 'She would be 20 if she were still alive.
'She wanted to be a paedatrician and she was a promising student so we are sure she would be at university now.
'We have had to hold it together for our four other children, but we miss her every day.'
A hospital spokesman said: 'Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like to send its condolences to the family of Amie Miller at this difficult time.
'The Trust would also like to apologise for failings in the care provided to Amie when she was treated here five years ago.
'A number of changes have since been introduced in the treatment of children and adults with neurological illness, including the introduction of more regular observations.'