Kate Pierce inquest: Doctor 'likely' to have asked for advice

There was no written record that a doctor sought a second opinion on a nine-month-old girl found to have meningitis, an inquest has heard.

Kate Pierce was sent home from Wrexham Maelor Hospital in March 2006 after being diagnosed with a viral infection.

She was later found to have meningitis which caused brain damage and died in her sleep in Florida in 2013.

Dr Halenahalli Vijayakumar told the inquest in Abergele it was "likely" he asked a colleague for a second opinion.

But he accepted no such notes had been made in Kate's patient records.

The inquest jury heard her parents, Diane and Mark Pierce, from Rossett, near Wrexham, had sought medical help after she began vomiting.

They asked for a second opinion after tonsillitis had been diagnosed and, after a 45-minute wait, were told advice had been sought from a superior and the family was free to go.

Dr Vijayakumar told the hearing he had no recollection of events which took place more than 11 years ago - and that he could only provide answers based on the findings and notes he made at the time.

Questioned by assistant coroner David Lewis, Dr Vijayakumar accepted that if he had discussed the case with a more senior colleague, it was his role to enter details of such a discussion in the notes but no such details had been recorded.

"There are two possibilities," said Mr Lewis. "One that you failed to record it, and the second is that no such conversation took place."

Dr Vijayakumar said he could not remember what happened but being new to the speciality, and the timetable of 45 minutes, it "appears to be likely that I have discussed this case".

The coroner said Sarah Piper, the registrar to whom Dr Vijayakumar would have referred the case, did not recall any such conversation.

But she added: "I can see that it's possible it was discussed with me and I just don't remember."

She added had the family asked for a second opinion, she would have gone to see the child - though it would depend how the request was made.

Dr Vijayakumar was also questioned by Martin Jones, a solicitor representing Kate's parents, about whether he had considered the likelihood of meningitis.

"It was in the forefront of my mind," he said, adding that "I was looking for a serious illness".

Dr Vijayakumar also said that the GP who referred Kate had been concerned about a chest infection, not meningitis.

The inquest is looking into how Kate was treated in March 2006, rather than the circumstances of her death.

The hearing is continuing.