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Parents say medics could have saved their son’s life had he seen GP face-to-face

The University of Leeds student made five 'shambolic' calls to NHS 111 after which he deteriorated dramatically

The family of a student who died after contracting meningitis has said that he would have survived had he seen a GP face-to-face.

David Nash, 26, had four remote consultations with staff at Burley Park Medical Centre in Leeds over 19 days before he died on 4 November 2020.

Medics did not notice that he had developed an ear infection which went on to cause a brain abscess, leading to meningitis.

EMBARGOED TO 0001 MONDAY OCTOBER 18 Undated family handout photo of David Nash who had four remote consultations with doctors and nurses at a Leeds GP practice over a 19-day period before he died on November 4, 2020. Issue date: Monday October 18, 2021. PA Photo. The family of the law student believe he would not have died if he had been seen face-to-face by a GP. None of the clinicians spotted that he had developed mastoiditis in his ear which caused a brain abscess, sparking meningitis, his family have said. See PA story HEALTH Nash . Photo credit should read: Andrew Nash/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
David Nash who had four remote consultations with doctors and nurses at a Leeds GP practice (Photo: GP)

His parents, Andrew and Anne Nash, from Nantwich, Cheshire, said their “caring, charismatic and funny” son died because of a failure to diagnose his life-threatening condition.

An NHS spokeswoman said a full response would be issued after the inquest hearing on 30 November.

“The NHS offers sincere condolences to David’s family,” she said. “Every GP practice must provide face-to-face as well as telephone and online appointments, as part of making primary care as accessible as possible.”

The University of Leeds student made five “shambolic” calls to NHS 111 after which they say he deteriorated dramatically.

His situation was initially categorised as “dental” and after he was taken to St James’s Hospital in Leeds he was left unattended, despite being in a serious state.

The student fell, causing an injury to his head. He died two days later.

Mrs Nash, 59, told BBC News: “They should be opening up – triaging, but seeing patients appropriately. I think the public fear is that they’re never going to return now to seeing people.”

Her 56-year-old husband added; “The mastoiditis is readily treatable with modern antibiotics and it should never have been left to get to the stage where it caused the complication of a brain abscess.”

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