Inquest jurors to consider conclusion over six-year-old’s tragic death from meningitis

An inquest into the death of six-year-old Oliver Hallhad been taking place in Ipswich this week Picture: BRYAN AND GEORGIE HALL (Image: Archant)

Oliver Hall, from Halesworth, died at the James Paget University Hospital on October 24, 2017, from meningococcal septicaemia hours after he was assessed by a trainee doctor and a senior GP.

The youngster was taken to Cutlers Hill surgery, in Halesworth, by ambulance after his mother Georgie had called the emergency 111 number.

He was assessed by trainee GP Dr Lester Braganza before being seen by Dr Daniel Treen, who was supervising the junior doctor.

However, his mother was told to take Ollie home and to monitor his symptoms.

Oliver Hall died in October 2017 Picture: BRYAN AND GEORGIE HALL (Image: Archant)

Ollie's health worsened through the day so Mrs Hall again called the GPs, rushing him to the surgery.

He was then given a shot of penicillin and taken to the James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth where he died a few hours later.

On the fourth day of his inquest Dr Sabrani Ray, who clinically advises trainee GPs, took the stand as an expert witness.

She said that with the symptoms Ollie was presenting, meningitis could not be ruled out.

She said: "This was a child with a fever, a child that has no obvious explanation of why he had the fever with a history of photophobia and a generalised rash that was blanching and an unexplained non-blanching rash on the forearm which had appeared at around the same time as the onset of Ollie's illness.

"I think with a history of fever, photophobia and a non-blanching rash, regardless of what clinical observations may or may not have been, meningococcal meningitis and meningitis could not be safely excluded."

The court heard on Monday from Professor Nigel Klein, a paediatrician and professor of infectious diseases, who said if Ollie had been taken to the hospital earlier, he would have survived.

He said: "I think if Ollie had been taken to hospital and if doctors seeing Ollie had made a diagnosis that he had meningococcal septicaemia and he had been given penicillin and he had the facilities to make sure he had the right fluids, he would have survived."

The jury is due to be sent out to make their deliberations on Friday morning.