Teenager died after paramedics failed to spot signs of sepsis

A DISABLED teenager died after an ambulance crew failed to spot the signs of deadly sepsis.

Paramedics spent 45 minutes with Victoria Nice, who had spina bifida, but did not take her to hospital despite the fact she had been vomiting and was delirious at times.

Her parents called another ambulance the following morning but by the time the 19-year- old arrived in intensive care it was too late to save her. Victoria’s family later had to take the agonising decision to switch off her life-support machine.

Sepsis, which kills 44,000 Britons a year, is caused when the body launches a violent immune response to an infection, causing it to attack the organs.

The NHS issued guidelines in March for patients showing signs of the condition to be seen quickly by a senior doctor, following the Daily Infection: Victoria Nice, 19 Mail’s End the Sepsis Scandal campaign. It was launched after the death of 12-monthold William Mead when inexperienced NHS 111 call handlers failed to realise he needed urgent help.

Victoria’s mother, Katrina, who cared for her full-time, yesterday said it was crucial that everyone recognise the symptoms and understood the risks. ‘The paramedics didn’t say that it was urgent because she didn’t seem that ill,’ she said.

‘I thought they were doing a fine job because I’d never heard of sepsis. Now, I’d look at it and say “Hang on a minute...”. That’s what we’ve got to get across to people.’ As well as the spinal defect spina bifida, Victoria had hydrocephalus – a build-up of fluid on the brain – and needed complex treatment.

She had been in hospital last year after developing a urinary tract infection but was discharged with instructions to take a course of oral antibiotics.

Days after returning home to Baldock, Hertfordshire, she started vomiting and her mother called 999 at around 10pm on September 20, 2016.

After assessing her, the ambulance crew offered the choice to take her to hospital or arrange an out- of-hours GP appointment. Her family opted for the latter because Victoria seemed to have rallied and was ‘exhausted’.

The next morning, another ambulance crew noticed the teenager’s feet were cold and discoloured and took her to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, where she was placed in an induced coma.

Doctors told Mrs Nice and her husband Philip, a patent examiner, it was too late to save her as sepsis patients must be treated as early as possible with antibiotics and fluids to survive.

But Mr and Mrs Nice, who also have a son, decided against taking legal action against the East of England Ambulance Service.

They instead took part in a meeting last week with the trust’s board at the headquarters near Cambridge.

They were told Victoria’s death has led to recommendations for front-line crew to look out for sepsis and for the illness to be ‘brought to the forefront of the trust’s focus’.

Chairman Sarah Boulton said the trust had a duty to ‘ensure these mistakes never happen again’.