A five-year-old boy died from meningitis after confusion between ambulance operators and the NHS 111 service caused delays to his treatment, a coroner has said. Yusuf Abdismad’s mother, Sofia Mohammed, called 999 only to be told by a London Ambulance Service dispatcher that she should instead ring the non-emergency number, 111. By the time an ambulance arrived, Yusuf was in cardiac arrest.
Mary Hassell, senior coroner at St Pancras Coroner’s Court in London, warned there was “a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken” and said emergency services had failed to recognise key signs of meningitis. During the call to 111, Yusuf’s mother said at one point that her son was not breathing, but the call handler continued asking questions rather than calling for paramedics.
The London Ambulance Service’s emergency medical dispatcher was also criticised for asking a series of confusing questions. When asked if Yusuf was awake, Mohammed replied “no”. The dispatcher then asked: “Is he conscious?” Mohammed panicked and incorrectly said he was, despite not having tried to wake him. The coroner said this was “a confusing way of approaching this very important question”.
The call handler also failed to recognise the significance of a description of the boy’s pupils no longer being visible, and that a description of scratches could have referred to a rash. The coroner said it was concerning that meningitis had not been considered a possibility. Yusuf died on 2 January from meningococcal septicaemia.
An LAS spokesman said: “We would like to say sorry once again to the family of Yusuf Abdismad. We accept the findings of the coroner’s court, and have provided a comprehensive response.” The service is launching an internal awareness campaign for staff to heighten awareness of meningitis symptoms. A spokeswoman for LCW, which operates the 111 service in six west London boroughs, said it accepts the coroner’s findings and is considering all comments.
