An eight-year-old girl from the Black Country required emergency brain surgery after being misdiagnosed with tonsillitis, her mother has revealed.
The Incident
Lacie Feeney, who has a developmental delay and cerebral palsy after being born at 26 weeks, fell at school in March and was taken to A&E. She was diagnosed with a mild concussion. However, Lacie has a brain drain fitted since infancy to manage fluid, which remains in place as she grows.
Her mother, Kelly Williams from Low Hill, expressed surprise that doctors did not conduct more extensive tests given Lacie's history. 'They should have given her a CT scan with her history. A CT scan and X-ray. They didn't investigate it at all,' she said.
Misdiagnosis and Delays
In the days following the A&E visit, Lacie developed headaches and fatigue. Her mother took her back to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, where she was sent to urgent care. Kelly alleges that doctors told her a CT scan would expose Lacie to unnecessary radiation and diagnosed her with viral tonsillitis, sending her home without antibiotics.
'She started to have headaches but would perk up and then complain again about the pain. One minute she was alright, and the next minute she wasn't,' Kelly said. 'I decided to take her to A&E, and she was referred to urgent care, and I said to the doctor that I shouldn't be waiting in urgent care because this is medical, this is not for a GP appointment.'
Lacie seemed to improve temporarily, but the headaches returned days later. Kelly took her back to hospital, where she finally received a CT scan. 'I could see shadows on her brain and I knew straight away that something was wrong,' she said.
Emergency Surgery
Lacie was transferred to the Paediatric Assessment Unit at New Cross Hospital, where it was discovered that the tube in her brain was blocked. She was then rushed by ambulance to Birmingham Children's Hospital for an emergency operation to correct the blockage.
Kelly criticised the delay, saying it was unfair that her daughter suffered unnecessarily. 'She experienced the pain in her head and with light. A child shouldn't have to go through all that before they get treated. How we got treated was awful.'
Formal Complaint
Kelly has lodged a complaint with the Patient Advice and Liaison Service at New Cross Hospital, focusing on the A&E and urgent care response. 'I haven't got an issue with PAU or the children's ward, I've got an issue with A&E sending me to urgent care and urgent care trying to diagnose her with something else and not doing the tests they are supposed to do,' she said.
A spokesperson for Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust stated: 'We can confirm the family has made a formal complaint and our Patient Relations Team will work closely with them while this is thoroughly investigated.'
