Mother hails 'lifesaving' campaign

A four-year-old boy diagnosed as having suspected swine flu but who actually had tonsillitis may have had his life saved by a campaign highlighted in the Shropshire Star.

His mother says her son's illness would have gone untreated if she had not read about Charlotte Hartey.

Charlotte, 16, of Weston Rhyn, near Oswestry, died after her tonsillitis was misdiagnosed as swine flu.

Today Charlotte's father Karl Hartey said he was stu- nned when the boy's mother contacted him through a group on Facebook he and his family set up to campaign against over-the-phone diagnosis.

In a note on the group Maryanne Taylor said her son was diagnosed with swine flu on Sunday morning and 12 hours later his twin brother Finley had the same symptoms.

"When my son woke up screaming with a sore throat I thought of Charlotte immediately," she said.

"I rang our local GP only to be told that this was a symptom of swine flu. I stuck to my guns and insisted he was seen - Finley has tonsillitis which is now being treated.

"If it had not been for the article in the Shropshire St- ar about Charlotte I probably would have done nothing and I may have lost my son."

After reading the message Mr Hartey said: "I was stunned, horrified. For a second child in Shropshire with tonsillitis to be diagnosed as having swine flu - after all the publicity over Charlotte - is dreadful."

Shropshire County Primary Care Trust has said anybody diagnosed with suspected swine flu, whose condition does not improve within five days for children and seven days for adults or who deteriorates quickly should contact their GP.