Harrowing account of Martha Mill's death at 13 in Guardian today

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I don't think there's another thread on this already I did a search, but I think this needs to be widely read - there seems to have been no lack of NHS resources here whatsoever, but consultants' arrogance by the spade; shades of This is Going to Hurt? Every parents' worst nightmare:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/03/13-year-old-daughter-dead-in-five-weeks-hospital-mistakes

I've just read it. Heartbreaking. This is why I absolutely do not trust doctors unless I'm convinced that one is really invested, clued in and carrying the buck.

Everyone should read that. Dear god that poor family dd2 is that age

That is absolutely heartbreaking. That poor family. To be treated by so many incompetent professionals, one after another is terrifying. Surely, you’d expect at least some of them to know their job?

That’s horrific.

i do have a serious point to make about it - a series of GPs and medical ward staff in hospital nearly let me die of sepsis some years ago. The reason was they didn’t recognise because I was fully coherent all the way through. It couldn’t be sepsis despite the amazingly high sustained temperature because I was capable of holding clear conversations with them.

It sounds like Martha was the same. And yet the sepsis adverts always have confusion as the first symptom. Not everyone is.

I was lucky, I am so sorry Martha wasn’t.

As a doctor and a mother this has chilled me to the bone this morning.

Awful, but an important read.

My mother had botched care in the NHS. It took me with my veterinary based medical knowledge to throw my weight around loudly and point out her symptoms and what they meant to get them to listen. She died 12 days later.

What a harrowing and heartbreaking read. Just awful. I worked in a hospital and sadly recognise that hierarchy that can cause bad decisions to arise.

I read that this morning. The poor child and her family.

Before I read this, I KNEW it’d be Kings College Hospital. I just knew it.

King’s is my local hospital. I had DS there some months ago and he spent 6 weeks in NICU. Despite us having a really good experience, I spoke to so many parents who had horrible experiences. Constantly being dismissed by the team, lack of communication within the unit leading to babies getting misdiagnosed etc.

My heart goes out to Martha and her family. She could have been saved but she wasn’t. How horrible

So well written and awful circumstances. I think Martha’s story will stay with me for a long time.

Dr Blunder promoted within a week. Shocking yet unsurprised.

Harrowing, but not surprising. All too often doctors patronise patients and feel entitled to hide information from them.

Oh god, what a nightmare.

It’s not often I read things that make me proper cry but that has. That poor girl and her poor family.

Absolutely heartbreaking. Thanks for sharing. It's an important - and very difficult - read.

I read that this morning too - so awful. That poor family.

And it happened at a London teaching hospital - one where the best of the best are supposedly drawn. Chilling.
Martha's mum has drawn her beautifully. The doctors (and nurse) mentioned should hang their heads in shame. I hope they recognise themselves from her descriptions

Truly heartbreaking and as others have also said - I had a similar experience re sepsis with my father who was having chemo, I was similarly dismissed and told to 'stop googling'.

My question for any medical professions reading this thread is: what can family members do in such circumstances? If we are being brushed off by senior staff - where can we turn? Is there a complaints hotline or someone to contact above the clinicians / outside of the hospital? A patient advocacy group that can come and provide support (a bit like a union rep)? Or should parents just call a lawyer?

Because without such an option - if you have the dreadful misfortune of encountering such arrogant, careless staff, I don't see what any amount of 'challenge' would produce other than to potentially have the parent / family member removed from the hospital - which obviously no one wants to run the risk of.

Just so awfully tragic. There are many Dr. Blunders and Dr. Do nothings around. My family was catastrophically unlucky with misdiagnosis and a doctor not joining the dots, which we managed to do within minutes after Googling symptoms and marrying them up with medical history. Too late, though. I suspect many families have been unlucky, whether they realise it or not.

Doctors are only human. They can and do make mistakes, so don’t put them on a pedestal. In my experience the best and most confident doctors are always open to alternatives. It’s those who are clinging to their status for dear life who are the most dogmatic and intransigent.

Have just read this article this morning, sitting next to my 13 year old DD, whilst trying not to cry, as I didn't want her asking why I was upset. One of the most heart-breaking things I've ever read.

Martha's sorry is going to stay with me a very long time. That poor girl; I can't even begin to imagine how terrified she must have been. And her poor family. My heart breaks for them.

Oh God. That was horrendous to read. That poor girl and her family. Heartbreaking.

Heartbreaking to read as a mum and doctor.
To answer your question- you 'shout' really loud (metaphorically) and say 'no', you're not happy/not leaving/not satisfied/want a second opinion. It's hard and it shouldn't be the way, but patients (and relatives) who are pushy get the investigations and treatments, and quicker. It's wrong.
There's also PALS.

Just read it as well. Absolutely heart breaking. I've just started working within a hospital in a non clinical role and can absolutely see the arrogance and scary incompetence of some of the doctors.

awful,
heart breaking story

when a doctor made some guess diagnosis about me I knew to argue with him, i felt strong to bat back his suggestions
but as a mother in this situation you can so imagine how hard it would be to argue dr Arrogant