GP warned after failing to spot meningitis

19 Dec 2008

A GP from Derbyshire has been warned about his conduct after a child died of meningitis.

The General Medical Council (GMC) found Alistair Graham guilty of misconduct and gave him a warning after an eight-year-old from Heanor died following Dr Graham’s failure to diagnose meningitis.

In January 2006 Dr Graham made a home visit to see eight-year-old Courtney Guy. He did not give her penicillin or arrange for her to go to hospital. She died a day later.

Dr Graham, from Chesterfield, told the GMC that the decision was “possibly the worst one I've ever made in my professional career”.

The GMC found that Dr Graham was guilty of misconduct, but noted that there was no evidence of further mistakes and that his practice had made improvements to their policy around suspected meningitis.

Joanne Ashley of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors said: “This case demonstrates the shocking results of clinical care falling below the standard required. In this case, as in others, the consequences of failing to diagnose an illness can result in the most devastating of outcomes for patients and families”.

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