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

[StaplesCorner]

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 read this over the weekend and it has shaken, but sadly not surprised, me.

Martha’s mother holding herself accountable for the failures of the medical ‘professionals’, is exceptionally heartbreaking.

Martha didn’t deserve this and should be here now. I doubt the consultants involved will even be struck off.

Dh and I have just been discussing that. One of DH’s colleagues (a surgeon) got hounded out of our hospital for raising concerns. He now works totally in private, he was a very highly respected surgeon in our hospital and is very sorely missed. Literally bullied out for raising his head above the parapet.

apple.news/ABpbca_HPQlufpGc_wy-slA

Poor guy, tries to do the right thing and gets ditched by the CQC. The irony.

Love it how CQC don't actually apologise in their statement but say they accept the findings. But no apology?
Yet one of the CQC requirements for Duty of Candour is an apology.
Yes agree with the irony.

I couldn't read it in full... but my own stance in life has been to never ever completely trust anyone. To fight for what you feel to be right. No one knows my situation or my children better than I do. People often say that is the wrong attitude to have, but sadly a case like this shows otherwise. I have no faith in the nhs as a whole, although I might put my faith in individuals within it at various points in my life. We are all fallible. Junior doctors need to be taught to acknowledge this much much more. They may 'know' more than the parents but they will never know as much as the parents.

Never forget my lovely aunt when I had my first who was a retired nurse and does a lot of alternative therapies for mothers and babies saying “never forget who the real expert on your baby is” I asked “who?” her answer “you are”

This is hugely important news, talks of toxicity in the hands of those overseeing safety.

It's horrendous and by the sounds of it that doctor is the very sort who should be applauded, not hounded out of a job.

The point of publishing this story is that it will save at least one person's life because it is such a profoundly moving account of one parent's struggle to get something done that would have saved her child's life. If ever there was a point to ever publishing a story surely this is it? Are you a medic ITALK to the trees or an NHS worker feeling defensive? This very subjective account ended with a terribly objective tragic outcome, the death of her most beloved child and that could have been avoided if these pompous bloated egotistical doctors had actually listened and been responsive. Those poor parents who now must live with the if only thoughts their minds will obsess over, if only they had just been louder? If only they had never left the Bay area in California where the private healthcare- well this just would never happen.

This is not about having hindsight. This was completely avoidable and these pompous doctors who failed to develop their characters at some point in their human development carry the blame but no doubt will of course never take on their part in ruining the lives of this family and ending the life of this young person.

There is research that people with narcissistic personality are often drawn to careers like medicine( and teaching and the ministry), for the God-like status it affords them and you do not want that perdon treating you when a situation like this happens. My heart goes out to the parents who have shared this story which will save lifes because we are all reading it and I hope those doctors are stuck at home feeling the shame of what they failed to do a year on, but I am afraid their personalities will be such that I imagine they will be Instagramming their fabulous 5 star weekend away somewhere their hefty salary affords them. Disgusting character lacking people. We all should know who they are so we can avoud them should we end up having to go to King's with our children for specialised care. I enclose a link shared by a poster above for people to look up some of their names below. I hope the family sue them and draw attention to their utter failure of care. Rest in peace sweet Martha and the parents should know none of this was on them. theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/04/girl-13-likely-to-have-survived-if-moved-to-intensive-care-coroner-rules?fbclid=IwAR2H-tBm6ekbIEWoeo8bjZANjIxqCth9uzjIA-xN0ELPftWPQLSVqrvcE14

amp.theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/04/girl-13-likely-to-have-survived-if-moved-to-intensive-care-coroner-rules

Bravo 👏🏼

Agree with every word.

ITalktotheTrees I actually wonder if you are connected to one of the doctors involved since your initial response stands out in its coolness and lack of empathy.

You better believe that the consultants involved in this and their partners will very likely end up reading this thread as well as the article because this is a once in a lifetime major disaster they have caused. They did not listen when that poor worried mother said she was worried it was sepsis, they dismissed her as being overly anxious when her daughter was dying in front of her eyes, it is beyond misogyny and reeks of a deep lack of empathy perhaps from being ill suited to a role where you have people's lives in your hands.

If you end up reading this thread Checked Shirt, Doctor Blunder and the rest of the feckless crew, think long and hard if your bank accounts are fat enough to step away from the career now and go do a nice little hobby job where peoples' lives are not in your feckless disregarding hands because your mistakes that week will affect this family forever and whatever it is in you that caused you not to listen, it is a fatal flaw in the profession you are in, it is a fatal character flaw in a doctor. You did not listen when you needed to so very badly. You thought you knew better. A 13 year old girl died because of it. We are all rightly disgusted by your behaviour that week and this article is shining the light right in there on that failing in you all. Look very carefully at yourselves whilst this spotlight is in your face consultants.

@chiweenie
Fantastic post. I welled up a bit.
There needs to be more outrage. The story on this morning’s news was yet another example of the culture of cover up.

Why is the NHS like this? Surely they should have a culture of continuous improvement? Why on earth would you try to cover up errors when you are dealing with peoples health and life and death situations?

They value the patients more in a private setting

indeed. My mum has seen the same consultant on the NHS and privately - and said the difference in attitude was astonishing.

She also said that she had a hysterectomy privately in the early 1980s and it was done in the least invasive way possible (which was still quite invasive) but people she knew who'd had them on the NHS had a much less careful operation and worse scar. I always thought the clinical treatment would be the same even if the surrounding care was better but she said it wasn't.

I remember asking an NHS orthodontist if he would be giving us the same advice if we (my son) were private patients. He was offended, but I think I was right to ask.

Same
Our lives in their hands 😬

TimWasMeanToMe that poor brave principled man, I'm glad he's been vindicated.
What a messed up system when this man is hounded out yet Dr Blunder is promoted.

This is appalling.
What the fuck?!

Very true. I had terrible sepsis...nearly died, but I was lucid all the way....my brain was sharp....just my body that was crumbling.

I came across this thread earlier after reading the heartbreaking article about Martha by her brave Mum. Such an appalling series of errors and ego - that led to a catastrophic situation.

My child and I have spent time on the same ward where Martha was so badly failed. I felt compelled to register and post.

First I must say that this specialist paediatric team 100% saved my child’s life and I met so many wonderful, empathetic doctors and nurses who went truly above and beyond in their care for my child. Including one wonderful junior doctor who was counsellor and friend to me as well as doctor to my child.

But also on this ward - and other paediatric wards - I also have had to battle against consultants who made me feel like an idiot for daring to question decisions, and I completely agree about the terrifying night and day differences within hospitals from weekday to weekend. Living on a ward with a very poorly child is unbearable, and feeling that you aren’t getting the support and answers you need has to somehow now just become unacceptable - somehow. There are many wonderful people in our NHS but sadly also some horrendous egos and many archaic processes.

This story has devastated me - for Martha and her family, and because it so easily could have been our family on that island too.

The burden of proof for litigation is high. Negligence has to be proved and even then it has to be shown to a high degree of certainty that this negligence directly led to a negative outcome. Beyond that compensation is calculated directly related to financial costs related to the outcome ( care costs or lost income etc.). Actual compensation for loss of a relative is low. My young children received about 3000 each for ‘ loss of love and affection’ from their father. Those were the actual words.
My point is that the bill for negligence payments are shocking but actually reveal the extent of the problems. The bills will come down when the culture changes ( and maybe when some of these consultants actually have to face some consequences for their lack of care).

Speaking as someone who has experienced medical negligence, what I wanted was an apology and for someone to take ownership of the appalling way I’d been treated. I didn’t get that; of course I didn’t. This behaviour, don’t admit, don’t accept, don’t apologise is what leads to litigation. Yes, there will be people for whom damages are necessary - or even if they aren’t, they are what is wanted. However, for many people a sincere apology, a taking of responsibility would go a long way.

Empty phrases and mutterings of lessons learnt leave people feeling frustrated. I truly hope that Martha’s legacy will be a turning point, a real change in the way doctors behave and communicate is desperately needed. My own experience was almost 40 years ago and it’s so depressing that nothing had changed.

It’s truly shocking that £3.6b is spent on litigation but this shows that there is an enormous problem as to standards within the NHS. This cannot continue. Sepsis is so incredibly dangerous and yet we have seen in these posts that it is continually missed with devastating consequences.

The NHS, aka the taxpayer, shouldn't be carrying the can for doctors working in the system. Individua professional accountability and an uncapping of damages would make a big difference.