Woman nearly dies from meningitis after being dismissed as migraine

By Emma Dunn

A student nearly died from meningitis after she was told she '"just had a migraine."

Laila Simnett, 18, had just recovered from Freshers' flu in her second week at Sheffield University when she started feeling tired and "weird" on October 7 2024.

The next morning she woke up with a headache and started vomiting and her friends decided to take her to a walk in clinic.

There she was told it was "just a migraine" and given medication to ease the symptoms - but it didn't work.

Her friends, Flo, 18, and Immy, 19, decided to take Laila to hospital where a GP told her she thought she had bacterial meningitis - a life-threatening infection.

But Laila had to wait five hours before she was seen - and was immediately put on antibiotics and an IV drip when they saw her rash.

Doctors said if she had been seen to just hours later she could have died or been left with serious impacts.

Laila spent a week in hospital and is still regaining her strength.

Laila, a phycology student, from Aylsham, Norfolk, said: "I came back from a lecture and I made dinner and I was feeling a bit weird - like a cold was coming.

"I went to sleep at 9pm and woke up at 12.30am with the worst headache and couldn't get out of bed.

"I was throwing up and really ill.

"Not much longer and I could have died or been seriously effected.

"I don't understand how I managed to survive."

Laila started getting symptoms on October 7, 2024, and sent her mum, Charlotte Simnett, 42, a text to say she was the "sickest she'd ever felt".

Charlotte thought her daughter was just feeling "rough and knackered from drinking" but became more concerned the next day.

Charlotte, who runs a caravan park, said: "Little did I know she was really unwell.

"She was vomiting loads. She said she was sick 20 times.

"She was shivering hot and cold."

Laila's friends saw how bad she was and took her to a walk-in center on October 8, 2024 - but she was just given tablets for a migraine.

But when Laila got worse and she started experiencing neck pain Flo and Immy decided to take her to Northern General Hospital, Sheffield.

Laila said: "I had a really stiff neck. I couldn't move it."

She was seen by an emergency GP who said he was pretty sure it was meningitis and said he would fast track her to be seen.

But five hours later Laila was still waiting in A&E - lying on the floor in pain.

Laila said: "As I was in A&E I noticed a rash on the inside of my arm."

When she was eventually seen, Laila says the "color drained from the nurse's face".

She was then treated for bacterial meningitis and septicaemia straight away and transferred to Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.

Laila spent a week in hospital before going home to Norfolk to rest for another two.

She is now back to university but is constantly tired and believes her hearing has been impacted.

Laila said: "I have definitely got some long term affects from it.

"I'm constantly tired all the time.

"Everyone is going out all the time and I can't do that."

Laila didn't know what meningitis was until she got it but had her MenACWY vaccine in year 10 to prevent against the virus.

She hadn't had a booster jab before going to university which she would now encourage others to get.

Laila said: "I'm so paranoid all the time - I don't want it to happen to other people."

Dr. Jennifer Hill, Medical Director, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our teams work hard to treat people as quickly as possible, and so it is really important that we look into the complaint Ms. Simnett has made to understand what happened and why during her time in A&E.

"Once we have established these facts, we will provide a full explanation and answer any remaining questions Ms. Simnett may have. We will also look to see what learning and changes may be appropriate based on the findings from the review.”