Doctors at Frenchay Hospital 'missed chances to save teenage girl'

A 16-year-old girl died after doctors at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol missed several chances to treat a killer brain condition, an inquest heard today.

Student Diana Moore was admitted to Frenchay Hospital with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) in April 2006.

She had also suffered on and off from headaches, nausea, light-headedness and slurred speech for a couple of years before being operated on in 2005.

However, four days after being admitted to Frenchay Hospital the teenager was sent home for the weekend.

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She returned the following Monday but was discharged by doctors 24 hours later.

At today's inquest at The inquest at Flax Bourton Coroner's Court, near Bristol, a senior consultant admitted that he had made a "bad call" in sending Miss Moore home when he did.

When she took a turn for the worse four days later, her mother Debroah called the hospital for advice on how to treat her daughter and initially gave her paracetamol.

However, Miss Moore's condition dramatically worsened with her mother describing her as "the most awful grey colour".

She said: "Diana was screaming in agony on my bed saying that she felt her head was going to burst and actually that was the last coherent word my daughter said to me".

Mrs Moore called an ambulance and when it arrived there was discussion about which hospital Miss Moore should be taken to.

The Royal United Hospital in Bath was closer to her home in Corsham, Wiltshire but it was decided she should return to Frenchay for specialist treatment.

As Miss Moore - who by this time was semi-conscious - was sent for a CAT scan, her mother had "an intuitive feeling" her daughter was dying.

She said: "I asked the team [if she was dying] and they said: No, no, no. But I was fixated on this and asked again and they said: No, we're experts in this field and we've caught it in time."

But due to a "miscommunication", an external drain that should have been fitted as soon as Miss Moore arrived was not set up for another two hours, the Bristol hearing was told.

The inquest continues.