I was listening to the radio recently whilst driving in my car. There was an interview with Birkenhead-born Rugby World Cup winner, Matt Dawson who was talking about his son’s recent fight against meningitis and his campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of meningitis so that other families do not have to go through the same ordeal. The interview was in advance of the fifth annual Meningitis Awareness week (2-8 May 2018) and it grabbed my attention. Of course, we have all heard about meningitis and we all know some of the symptoms but it is not uncommon for the signs and symptoms to be overlooked or dismissed as more common illnesses such as flu.

So what are the symptoms?

Meningitis Now has a detailed list of symptoms on their website, categorising them into “Early Symptoms” and “Common Symptoms” but they include a warning of “Do not wait for a rash” and advice to “get medical help immediately”.

I was pleased to hear that Matt Dawson’s child made a good recovery after two weeks of intensive treatment but I was concerned that, if presented with the same symptoms and circumstances, other parents may not be so lucky if symptoms are not acted on quickly.

According to the NHS, up to 1,700 people are diagnosed with Meningococcal infections every year with around 1 death per every 10 patients. In addition, of those that survive the infection, many suffer from serious effects to their long term health such as brain damage or amputation of limbs.

Familiarising yourself with the symptoms is a helpful tool for anyone but what if you think you or your child has meningitis but your GP or your doctor isn’t so sure? What if they take a “wait and see” approach but it then becomes too late?

In February, it was reported by the Manchester Evening News that a six year old girl had attended hospital after her parents had concerns of high temperature, headache and stomach ache (symptoms recognised on Meningitis Now’s website). The young girl’s parents were initially told she should go home but she was admitted to the paediatric ward following concerns from one of the treating nurses. A rash was identified, but was dismissed by doctors as a “bruise”. Symptoms progressed rapidly and the young girl sadly passed away just hours after arriving at the hospital.

An internal investigation has been undertaken by the governing Trust which has identified missed opportunities from the treating doctors to identify the extent and nature of the illness.

This is an example of how serious a delayed diagnosis of Meningitis can be and, even if we familiarise ourselves with the signs and symptoms, it reminds us how reliant we are on the opinions of doctors. Our NHS provides a great service and now offers Meningitis vaccines (from 2015) for children at 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 1 year – but mistakes can still happen.

If you or your children have suffered as a result of a delayed diagnosis of meningitis, Jackson Lees are here to try to help you find answers. If the evidence points to a clinical negligence claim, we will pursue it for you and that could result in financial compensation to help improve your/your child’s quality of life and provide financial stability for their future. Please click here for a call back or message us your enquiry.