The Times reports meningitis death of client's daughter leading to inquest

As the inquest into the death of 19-year-old Mia Ginever begins at Woking Coroner's Court, the Times published an interview with Mia's parents to raise awareness of the Meningitis B vaccine.
 

Deborah Nadel currently represents Phil and Mel Ginever at the inquest and in an ongoing medical negligence claim following the treatment of their daughter at Frimley Park Hospital.

Following an internal review, the hospital trust admitted failing to assess Mia and to give antibiotics within an hour of her arriving at the hospital for the second time, as is NHS protocol.

The review concluded that decisions had been repeatedly influenced by a 'conscious bias' caused by the initial diagnosis of a viral condition.

Mia was originally sent home from the hospital when she went to A&E with a persistent sore throat and headache. 

She returned to the hospital five hours later feeling much worse, with a searing headache and red spots that did not fade. She was admitted and then developed a stiff neck and was noticeably delirious to her family, which with her other symptoms should have been red flags for meningitis and sepsis.

She was only given what could have been life-saving antibiotics more than eight hours after arriving in A&E, which was too late. She died two days later, having suffered severe swelling of the brain.

In the UK and Ireland, babies are offered Bexsero, the meningococcal group B vaccine, as part of their routine immunisation schedule at two, four and twelve months of age. Some people of Mia's age group, however, are at risk of contracting the disease but have not been vaccinated.

Since her death, Mia's parents have been raising awareness about the vaccine. Most of her friends and siblings have now paid to have it privately.

More information on the vaccine is available on the Meningitis Researcher Foundation website.

The inquest continues this week.