Young mother died in agony after NHS Direct call handlers repeatedly failed to tell her to go to A&E because they thought her deadly blood clot was just a stomach bug

A young mother, who died in agony from a blood clot after her family made repeated calls to NHS Direct and ambulance services, was told she had a stomach bug.

Kirsty Louise Childs, 20, from Denby Dale, Yorkshire, died when NHS Direct and the non-emergency 111 helpline advised an out-of-hours GP or suggested she go to a walk-in-clinic.

Kirsty Louise Childs, 20, from Denby Dale, Yorkshire, died when emergency services failed to tell her to go to A&E

An inquest heard that if Ms Childs had been admitted to hospital following the family's initial calls for advice, doctors would have spotted the clot and she would have survived.
Ms Childs, who had a one-year-old daughter, died from shock caused by superior mesenteric vein thrombosis.

A vein from her bowel became blocked by the clot, which left her vomiting blood and unable to walk and she died on on January 2, 2013.

Ms Childs, who had a one-year-old daughter, Alisia (pictured), would have survived had she been admitted to hospital following the family's initial calls for advice

An investigation into NHS Direct's handling of the case found a number of failings and raised concerns about how handlers were forced to follow prescriptive guidelines.

The coroner, Mary Burke, said: 'I am concerned that health advisors have to follow regulations from answers that affects how the care goes forward.'
Professor Michael Gough, a vascular surgery consultant from Leeds Teaching Hospitals, told the inquest the clot was an 'insidious' illness which, if left untreated, can irreversibly damage the bowels and prove fatal.

He said: 'If admission had occurred earlier I think on the balance of probabilities Kirsty would have had the correct diagnosis and would have survived. It was a missed opportunity.'

The inquest heard Kirsty had begun to feel unwell on Christmas Day 2012, with her symptoms deteriorating as she became weaker, experiencing 'excruciating' abdominal pain, fainting and vomiting blood.

Superior mesenteric vein thrombosis, which was not diagnosed until after her death, means that blood is unable to leave the bowels and can eventually lead to a blood infection and shock.
Recording a narrative verdict, assistant coroner Mrs Burke said: '[Ms Childs' mother] contacted the NHS Direct on a number of occasions for advice and assistance due to a range of symptoms.

Ms Childs' family made repeated calls to emergency services and NHS Direct but were not told to take her to A&E

'As a result, Kirsty was not admitted to hospital. 'If she had by the morning of January 1 and received definitive care it is likely Kirsty would have survived.'
Ms Childs' daughter Alisia, now four, is now looked after by her parents Steve and Angela Childs, who also live in Denby Dale.



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