Martha Mills, 13, who died from sepsis, was referred to the paediatric intensive care unit at London’s King’s College Hospital “far too late” by Prof Richard Thompson, heard a medical tribunal
A doctor gave “false, outdated and misleading” information to a colleague about the condition of a 13-year-old girl who died from sepsis days later, a medical tribunal has heard.
The General Medical Council says Martha Mills was referred to the paediatric intensive care unit at London’s King’s College Hospital “far too late” after liver specialist Professor Richard Thompson had described the teenager as “stable”. He is also said to have told a fellow consultant that any direct clinical review from the intensive care team could cause “increased anxiety” for her parents, despite the availability of a bed on the unit.
The consultant hepatologist is appearing before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal accused of a number of failings in his care of Martha on Sunday, August 29 2021. More than a month earlier Martha had suffered an injury to her pancreas after she fell off a bike while on holiday in Wales.
She was later transferred to King’s College Hospital, one of three locations in the UK which specialise in the treatment of children with pancreatic trauma.
The GMC said the criticism levelled at Prof Thompson was not about his management of the youngster’s underlying condition but instead his management of sepsis. Days before Martha had experienced fevers and an increased heart rate, and by the time of Prof Thompson’s mid-morning ward round on August 29 she was still suffering fevers and also had low blood pressure.
The duty consultant was later called at home by a registrar who informed him that Martha had developed a rash across her body but it was unlikely to be caused by sepsis and more likely to be a reaction to drugs she was receiving.
Hours later he phoned a consultant colleague on the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) but did not include the rash in his discussion, say the GMC, and also provided incorrect blood pressure and blood test readings.
Christopher Rose, representing the GMC, said: “Professor Thompson’s summary contained false, outdated and misleading information, and gave an incorrect impression that Martha was stable and did not need a PICU review.
“Of course Martha was not stable. She had been steadily worsening throughout the day. From approximately noon, he failed to appreciate the extent to which she was unwell and failed to respond appropriately. He should have referred her to the PICU.
“By the time she had developed a rash he should have come in and reviewed Martha herself. The reality is that she had needed the PICU review since midday. She did not get one until the following morning by which point it was far too late.”
Martha collapsed on August 30 and was then transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital but sadly died in the early hours of August 31, the tribunal heard. Prof Thompson denies the allegations and the hearing in Manchester continues.
At a 2022 inquest into her death a coroner ruled Martha would most likely have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier.
Martha’s mother, Merope Mills, an editor at The Guardian, said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Martha’s deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted upon. The couple later successfully campaigned for Martha’s Rule to give patients, families and carers the chance to easily request a second opinion about their NHS care.
Earlier this year the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee was told that more than 100 patients have been taken to intensive care “or equivalent” as a result of Martha’s Rule, and that patients, their loved ones or staff have raised concerns about care using Martha’s Rule on more than 2,000 occasions.