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25/05/2007
GP out-of-hours care criticised over woman's death
GP out-of-hours services have been criticised over the death of a woman who died of septicaemia, despite contacting eight different doctors in four days.
Penny Campbell, 41, from Islington in north London had contacted the doctors over the Easter break in 2005.
She had developed complications following a routine surgical procedure in March 2005.
Over the Easter holiday, she contacted eight doctors working for Camidoc, the local GP out-of-hours service, before eventually going to A&E.
None of the doctors had identified the septicaemia, which eventually caused her death.
A report into her death said that her care was flawed and that there had been confusion over the role of night and weekend cover.
The report said that Camidoc needed to improve its governance and that the four primary care trusts (PCTs) which pay for the service - Camden, City and Hackney, Haringey and Islington - needed to develop action plans to address the failings identified in the report.
It also said that the government and the NHS needed to learn lessons from the case.
Rachel Tyndall, Chief Executive of Islington PCT, said: "There were failings in her (Ms Campbell) care and the systems to guarantee quality. The health service will respond to these."
On Friday, Prime Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown said that improvements had to be made by the NHS. Mr Brown said: "The health service hs got to be there for people when they need it and we need to do better in the future."
The Chancellor said that more access was needed to doctors, as well as drop-in centres and more effective local health care centres.
(KMcA/SP)
Penny Campbell, 41, from Islington in north London had contacted the doctors over the Easter break in 2005.
She had developed complications following a routine surgical procedure in March 2005.
Over the Easter holiday, she contacted eight doctors working for Camidoc, the local GP out-of-hours service, before eventually going to A&E.
None of the doctors had identified the septicaemia, which eventually caused her death.
A report into her death said that her care was flawed and that there had been confusion over the role of night and weekend cover.
The report said that Camidoc needed to improve its governance and that the four primary care trusts (PCTs) which pay for the service - Camden, City and Hackney, Haringey and Islington - needed to develop action plans to address the failings identified in the report.
It also said that the government and the NHS needed to learn lessons from the case.
Rachel Tyndall, Chief Executive of Islington PCT, said: "There were failings in her (Ms Campbell) care and the systems to guarantee quality. The health service will respond to these."
On Friday, Prime Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown said that improvements had to be made by the NHS. Mr Brown said: "The health service hs got to be there for people when they need it and we need to do better in the future."
The Chancellor said that more access was needed to doctors, as well as drop-in centres and more effective local health care centres.
(KMcA/SP)
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