A MOTHER has condemned “arrogant” doctors who failed to save her baby daughter from meningitis.

Speaking on the anniversary of her little girl’s death Abby Dalton described how she begged for help from hospital staff who refused to take her concerns seriously.

Eight-month-old Eloise died on December 17, 2009 - six days after doctors sent her home, advising her mother to give her Calpol.

Last week an inquest in Wakefield heard Eloise would have survived if she had been given antibiotics when she was first taken to hospital.

Now IT manager Abby, 37,says her case should serve as a stark warning to other parents that doctors do not always know best.

Abby’s nightmare began on December 11 when she took Eloise to Leeds General Infirmary. She says her concerns were dismissed and she was told her daughter had a virus. Two days later she took Eloise back to hospital with a high temperature and when doctors tried to send her home again she refused to leave.

She said medics dismissed her concerns even after her daughter suffered a 30-minute seizure. Eloise was finally admitted to paediatric care the following day, and blood tests on December 16 finally confirmed her mother’s suspicions of meningitis - but by then it was too late.

Recording a narrative verdict, coroner David Hinchliff said the inadequate care for Eloise and mistakes in treatment amounted to neglect, con- Continued on page two tributing to her death from multi-organ failure.

Abbey, who lives in Guiseley with her four-year-old daughter Megan, said she had known something was seriously wrong and had begged for hep.

“It’s not always about the parents acting quickly although this is obviously critical - the doctors have to act too,” she stressed.

“Even when we forced our way onto the ward the treatment Eloise received was totally inadequate and she was repeatedly rejected admission to PICU the place that would have been able to save her. That said there were a couple of doctors that were involved that did help but unfortunately when we met them it was too late.

“The thing for me was the arrogance that pervaded all the way through. It was constant. They were willing to dismiss us rather than check a sick child.

“It was almost like they couldn’t be bothered. We were talking but people weren’t listening.”

She urged other parents to follow their own intuition.

“Doctors don’t always get it right,” she said. “If you know something is not right you have got to trust your instincts. I knew something was wrong but I couldn’t get anyone to listen.”

Dr Yvette Oade, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: “On behalf of everyone at Leeds Teaching Hospitals I would like to extend our sincere sympathy to the family of Eloise and to apologise for the failings in her care, which we fully acknowledge and have taken detailed steps to address.

“After Eloise’s tragic death in 2009 a full, thorough and open investigation was carried out by a senior clinician at the trust. This made a series of recommendations for improving the care we provide, and the coroner heard in detail about these and was satisfied that they have been fully implemented.

“It is important to stress that in addition to making changes to our clinical practices, the way the trust is organised has been significantly changed since the time of Eloise’s death, with a much greater input from senior clinicians to the care of all patients in the children’s wards.”