Three-year-old boy died of sepsis after 111 call blunder

AN NHS Direct nurse contributed to the death of a toddler by giving his mum wrong advice on the phone, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Sam Morrish, three, died from severe sepsis during a flu epidemic, 36 hours after his parents first sought medical help.

An inquiry by the Health Service Ombudsman later ruled the 2010 death of Sam, from Devon, could have been prevented with proper treatment and was caused by a string of NHS errors.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council yesterday heard those blunders included a failure by NHS Direct nurse advisor Daisy Chipunza to recognise the seriousness of his case.

She also gave his mother incorrect advice, it was claimed.

The tribunal heard that Ms Chipunza had “failed on a number of occasions to recognise the seriousness of cases”.

The NMC’s Gareth Thomas said: “There is alleged a failure to handle calls appropriately and in many cases giving the wrong advice that has the effect of putting patients at risk of harm.

“In one case, that risk materialised in the allegation that the registrant contributed to the death of a three-year-old boy.”

In another case Ms Chipunza is said to have failed to send an ambulance after a caller rang to say their partner had taken 30 paracetamol.

She was also reported to have failed to send a patient to A&E after he rang to say he had taken too much insulin.

Ms Chipunza has admitted giving incorrect answers to questions and contributing to Sam’s death as a result. The hearing continues.