We waited six hours in A&E for our daughter, 4, to be treated but she was never seen – she died two days later
A FOUR-year-old girl died two days after her family waited more than six hours to be seen at A&E before leaving.
Makenna-Rose Thackray, from Rothwell in West Yorkshire, died on December 20, 2022, after her family’s futile wait for medical help.
The “happy and jolly” girl was someone who “lit up the room with her infectious smile”, her mother told an inquest today.
The tragic situation unfolded after her family took her to the emergency department at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
Makenna-Rose had been diagnosed with scarlet fever earlier that month, but antibiotics hadn’t worked.
Dad Paul Thackray told the inquest at Wakefield Coroner’s Court there had been “missed opportunities” to save his daughter’s life, the BBC reported.
Makenna-Rose’s mother, Danielle Ledger, added that the couple were “unable to grieve” for her “until we have answers”.
In her statement, she said: “At around 11.30pm, we had been in hospital for over four hours and Makenna-Rose was still burning up and was exhausted.
“I asked the nurse how much longer the wait was, and she just apologised and said that there were other patients that needed to be seen before her.
“We waited a further two hours before giving up and going home around 1.30am, having waited over six hours.”
The inquest heard that Makenna-Rose was diagnosed with scarlet fever on December 9.
In his statement, Mr Thackray said: “I am devastated by the loss of my daughter.
“There were missed opportunities to save my daughter and I would like those responsible to admit their failures and learn from these, so no family must go through what we have been through.”
Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection, triggered by Group A Strep bacteria.
In rare cases, the bacteria can reach the bloodstream and cause a fatal invasive disease called iGAS.
It can be caught by anyone, but most commonly affects children under the age of 10.
Scarlet fever symptoms
THE NHS says you should watch out for:
- A sore throat
- Skin infection, including blisters or impetigo
- A large itchy pink or red rash on the skin (will appear after flu-like symptoms)
- Headache
- A high temperature
- Flushed cheeks
- A swollen tongue
- Swollen neck glands
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Red lines in the folds of the body, such as the armpit, which may last a couple of days after the rash has gone
- A white coating on the tongue, which peels a few days later leaving the tongue red and swollen (this is known as strawberry tongue)
The symptoms are the same for children and adults, although scarlet fever is less common in adults.
What to do if you or your child has scarlet fever
Parents are advised to book an appointment for their children at their local GP if they notice symptoms of the bacterial bug.
If diagnosed, sufferers will be prescribed a course of liquid antibiotics, which should be taken for ten days.
Symptoms often clear up within two weeks, but there can be complications of scarlet fever.
There is a small risk of the infection spreading to other parts of the body, causing ear infections, sinusitis or pneumonia.
It’s advisable to return to your GP as soon as possible if you’re affected by headaches, vomiting or diarrhoea after the initial scarlet fever symptoms have cleared up.