Myla Deviren

The MATTERS OF CONCERNS are as follows:

Children-particularly small infants do not present like adults when they are very unwell. Nor can they articulate their symptoms in a way that lends itself to prescribed pathway questions and answers and they are not in front of the staff handling the calls who therefore rely on parents for information.

Whilst since this event there have been steps to provide training of staff at 111 and Out of Hours services and NHS Digital have reworked the pathways to deal with multiplicity of symptoms there are still concerns re what further steps may be taken regrading cases involving children and infants. Evidence given at the Inquest was that about 20% of calls to both services relate to sick children. There should therefore be robust systems in place to prevent sick children going without potentially lifesaving treatment. Steps should include:

1. Mandatory annual training for all staff on recognising and interpreting signs and symptoms for all staff taking calls needs to be put in place.

2. A suitably qualified paediatric specialist clinician should be available to discuss or review such cases at all times.

3. The default position and precautionary advice should be-if in doubt call an ambulance.