Tragedy that must not be brushed aside

WHEN a young mother takes her sick child to a surgery, she is entitled to expect the devoted attention of a dedicated professional.

This is what Ellie-May Clark did not get. This little girl, just five years old, had a history of severe asthma. Yet Dr Joanne Rowe refused to see her, on the grounds that her mother was a few minutes late for a booked appointment.

Such rigidity might be forgivable in the case of an adult with a minor ailment, but it is clearly inexcusable when a small child is suffering a medical emergency. There is also a nasty suggestion of clockwatching, as it was the penultimate appointment of the day.

A few hours later, Ellie-May Clark suffered a seizure and died, despite the efforts of an ambulance crew.

This is all quite bad enough. The General Medical Council agrees. It told Dr Rowe: ‘Your failure to see and assess this child does not meet with the standards required of a doctor.’

But the case was heard in private, and the penalty, a formal warning which expires after five years, was more or less non-existent. Astonishingly, there has still not even been a full inquest.

The trust between patient and doctor has been betrayed. A grieving family rightly feel that their loss has been brushed aside. Without the vigilance of a free press it would have remained buried in official documents.

There is no excuse. Such cases should be heard in the open, and those responsible should be properly disciplined, not least to reassure the public that such behaviour will never be tolerated or covered up.

The GMC is not there to look after its own, but to look after us all.