Death of girl, 5, WAS contributed to by neglect after hospital sent her home with meningitis, inquest finds

Lila Marsland wouldn't have died if Tameside Hospital had admitted her and given her antibiotics when she arrived, a jury found

A five-year-old girl’s death from meningitis was ‘contributed to by neglect’, a jury has concluded.

Lila Marsland was found unresponsive in bed by her mum on the morning of December 28, 2023. Around eight hours earlier, she was discharged from Tameside Hospital.

Lila had been sent home with antibiotics and a throat spray for tonsillitis, despite showing ‘strong signs of meningitis’ during her many hours in the hospital’s A&E.

An inquest has concluded Lila died from pneumococcal meningitis streptococcal pneumonia. A jury determined today (Thursday, June 5) the little girl’s death was ‘contributed to by neglect’.

“Had Lila been admitted to hospital and given broad spectrum antibiotics within the first hour of being triaged, this would have prevented Lila’s death,” the jury concluded.

During the inquest, the court heard how Lila’s mum, Rachael Mincherton, took her daughter to Tameside A&E and asked paediatric advanced nurse practitioner, Claire Casey, whether her child was suffering from meningitis.

The question came as Lila suffered ‘classic signs’ of the brain-swelling condition, heard Stockport Coroners Court during the eight-day hearing. The family had gone to the hospital’s A&E as Lila suffered headaches, a sore throat, a high heart rate, neck pain and limited neck movement, vomiting, lethargy, and was unable to pass urine.

Ms Casey, who worked at Tameside Hospital’s paediatric A&E department, examined Lila and was ‘clinically concerned’ that the symptoms could be coming from tonsillitis, meningitis or another underlying illness, like a virus.

Ms Casey told the jury how she believed a child’s neck pain was because of inflamed lymph nodes, and that her high heart rate was a result of the pain.

Meningitis remained a ‘differential diagnosis’, the court heard, but the nurse said her physical examination of Lila, and Lila’s blood test results, suggested the symptoms came from tonsillitis.

Ms Casey told Ms Mincherton that she was ‘confident’ the child did not have meningitis and Lila was given a dose of antibiotics.

After being discharged at around 2am, Ms Mincherton said they drove home, got in bed together and fell asleep.

Lila, from Hyde, woke up about 4am complaining of a headache and was given a half dose of Calpol.

At around 9am, Ms Mincherton woke up and found Lila unresponsive.

She called 999 and attempted CPR. Paramedics arrived at the home and Lila was pronounced dead at 9.19am.