GP's mistake cost Amelia her life (From Stroud News and Journal)

GP's mistake cost Amelia her life

A DISTRAUGHT mum was told this week her baby would probably have lived if a doctor had given her correct advice.

Amanda Flight spoke of the anguish she has suffered since the death of 11-month-old Amelia.

An inquest on Friday heard the child died of natural causes aggravated by a doctor's neglect.

A coroner ruled that she would probably have lived if Dr Noah Thomson, of Rowcroft Medical Centre, Stroud, had instructed the mother-of-four to take the child to hospital.

"My baby has paid with her life," said Mrs Flight, 34.

"I carried her for the last time in her coffin. It is the hell no parent should ever have to face.

"My beautiful Amelia should not be just a memory. I never saw her walk, talk or her first day at school. Part of me died that day too.

"Most of all I miss the cuddles, her smile and the way she touched my face when she woke in the morning.

"I think the verdict was just, anything less would have been detrimental to the memory of my daughter."

The inquest in Cirencester heard how Mrs Flight took Amelia to see another Rowcroft GP, Dr James Quekett, on March 21 as the child had diarrhoea, dehydration and vomiting.

She was sent home without treatment as Amelia was improving.

But later that night Mrs Flight, of Festival Road, Stonehouse, became concerned because of an unusual grunting sound the baby was making when breathing and called Rowcroft's out-of-hours service.

On duty was Dr Thomson, a partner in the practice who qualified from St George's Hospital, London in 1997.

He asked Amanda to hold the phone to her child so he could hear her breathing, which he admitted was 'unusual'.

Mrs Flight, who is estranged from her husband Andrew, told him: "She looks really horrible. Very pale with shrunken eyes. She's kind of wriggling around whimpering."

Dr Thomson admitted that from the description the child may have needed hospital treatment, but denied claims he gave Mrs Flight the 'brush-off.'

"I accept that I didn't realise how unwell the child was - If I had I would have asked her to come to the primary care trust," he said.

"We talked for nine-and-a-half minutes - that's long compared to the average conversation."

Dr Thomson concluded by telling Mrs Flight: "If you are worried, bring the child down - we'll be happy to see you."

Expert paediatrician Peter Sidebotham told the hearing he would have insisted on seeing the child.

Amelia died during the early hours of March 22 and was found dead by Mrs Flight at 6am - a post-mortem confirming cause of death as dehydration due to gastro-enteritis.

"In not making it plain that Amelia ought to have been brought to the hospital there was a failure," concluded coroner Alan Crickmore. "That failure was not just trivial it was substantial."

He added that Dr Thomson was a caring, industrious GP and stressed he was not implying criminal responsibility.

The medical centre issued a statement saying: "Rowcroft Medical Centre accepts the coroner's verdict and we are deeply saddened by this tragic outcome.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the family for their loss."

Mrs Flight is now planning to take legal action.

Verdict: natural causes with neglect.