Charlotte Hartey inquest told medics were 'one step behind'

The father of a Shropshire schoolgirl who died after being misdiagnosed with swine flu told an inquest doctors and nurses treating her always seemed to be "one step behind the game".

Karl Hartey said he had various concerns about the treatment given to his daughter Charlotte by the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The 16 year old, from Bronygarth, near Oswestry, died at the hospital on July 31 last year from complications caused by tonsillitis.

Mr Hartey told an inquest in Shrewsbury yesterday concerns ranged from consultant Dr Saskia Jones-Perrott not reading a GP's letter in which the doctor referred to abnormal blood results, to the family having to ask for Charlotte's intravenous drip to be brought to her after she was moved from one ward to another.

He said: "The intravenous drip never followed her. If we had not spoken up it would still have been left in her old room. They seemed to be one step behind the game."

Mr Hartey, representing his family at the inquest, said he hoped lessons had been learned.

"None of this helps Charlotte but I hope this helps other people who go into Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals," he said. "I just hope things are changing.

"I hope these changes have been implemented otherwise it was all in vain."

Dr Jones-Perrott told the inquest lessons had "definitely" been learned.

She said the drip issue had been raised with nursing staff and flow charts had been introduced to help quickly identify illness.

And Dr Jones-Perrott said she had changed her own practice and now ensured she read GP's records.

The inquest heard Oswestry GP Dr Michael Arthur had been following government guidelines when he made an over the phone swine flu diagnosis.

Changes in how hospital assessments are carried out have been implemented and a consultant was now "on the shop floor" for dealing with admissions during 8am to 6pm, the inquest, which resumes today, heard.

By Iain St John and Emma Kasprzak