Parents blame hospital for daughter’s botched meningitis treatment

By James Connolly

The heartbroken parents of a 2-year-old girl who died after contracting meningitis say they "weren't listened to" as her condition spiraled.

Leila Normington, from Wetherby, Yorks., died just hours after being transferred to a hospice following what a report described as "missed opportunities" in her treatment.

She had only recently been treated for meningitis when her parents took her to Harrogate District Hospital on July 22, 2023, after she developed a fever that lasted four days.

Despite her recent battle with meningitis, medics did not consider the possibility the bacterial infection had returned.

Instead, they diagnosed an upper respiratory tract infection and sent her home that evening.

Sarah said: "In the days before we took Leila to hospital she wasn't herself.

"Her behavior had changed and she was suffering with seizures.

"To us it felt like she hadn't got over her meningitis.

"However, when we tried to raise our concerns we felt we weren't listened to."

The following morning, mom Sarah, 42, and dad Mark, 48, rushed Leila back to hospital.

She was admitted to the pediatric ward at around 1:30 p.m.

Her parents warned staff she had a high temperature, problems with balance, was drowsy and had suffered seizures at home.

But an NHS patient safety report later found staff said it did not sound like Leila had experienced seizures.

Medics continued treating her for a respiratory infection and, in a bid to assess her alertness, advised Sarah to take her to a playroom to wake her up.

Later that afternoon, Leila suffered two seizures in front of her family.

Because there was no working clock on the wall, Mark was asked to time the seizures on a staff member's mobile phone.

Investigators found "it was not appropriate" to have asked him to do this.

Sarah said: "It was absolutely awful seeing Leila so poorly and having seizures.

"It's something no parent should have to see, let alone be asked to help with.

"All we wanted to do was to help our girl, but we felt powerless."

Doctors eventually suspected a recurrence of meningitis and sepsis. But Leila's condition rapidly deteriorated.

In the early hours of July 24, she was transferred to a specialist paediatric intensive care unit.

A CT scan revealed she had suffered a catastrophic brain injury and would not survive.

Sarah and Mark made the agonizing decision to move their daughter to Martin House Hospice, where she died on July 25, 2023.

A post-mortem confirmed meningitis as the cause of death.

Sarah said: "Losing Leila in the way we did is something that will stay with us forever.

"Leila was the most adorable, loving and caring girl with the cheekiest smile.

"We remain deeply concerned that Leila's symptoms were a mirror image of the first time she contracted meningitis."

She added: "We always got the impression we weren't being listened to and later found out not all calls were properly recorded in Leila's notes.

“It remains difficult not to think the doctors didn't take Leila's previous diagnosis into account despite everything we said and by the time meningitis was considered again it was too late.

"We were saying Leila was incredibly ill but instead staff were saying it sounded like Leila hadn't suffered seizures and to take her to a playroom."

The trust's investigation found that there may have been a "missed opportunity" to admit her on July 22 and start antibiotics sooner.

However, it could not confirm whether her death could have been avoided. The trust has denied liability.

The report also found the early warning scoring system used at the hospital did not properly account for parental concerns.

A section has since been added to record them.

Investigators also criticised the lack of support offered to Sarah and extended family during resuscitation efforts.

Sarah added: "Leila was born after several failed attempts of IVF. She was our only daughter and our world.

"That we'll never get to see her grow up and celebrate milestones in life like starting school and passing her exams devastates us.

"We'd do anything to have Leila in our lives, but we know that's not possible."

She said she hopes the tragic situation raises awareness about the dangers of meningitis and the importance of early treatment.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust was approached for comment.