Neglect contributed to Kate Pierce's death, inquest concludes

Neglect contributed to the death of a seven-year-old girl who died six years after suffering brain damage from meningitis, an inquest has concluded.

A coroner's jury had heard Kate Pierce, from Rossett, in Wrexham, was misdiagnosed when she was taken to hospital in March 2006.

A doctor at Wrexham's Maelor Hospital said she had tonsillitis.

The jury gave a narrative conclusion that Kate died of a natural cause to which neglect contributed.

In 2012, Betsi Cadwaladr health board admitted that aspects of her care were not of an acceptable standard.

The inquest at Abergele heard Kate's parents had asked for a second opinion following the tonsillitis diagnosis and were told another doctor had agreed with it.

The jury was told that there was no record of that conversation between the two doctors ever taking place.

The nine-month-old was sent home from hospital only to be re-admitted two days later when meningitis was correctly diagnosed.

Kate ended up spending seven months in Liverpool's Alder Hey children's hospital. She was left unable to communicate and with severe sight and hearing loss. She had epilepsy and breathing difficulties.

She died in her sleep whilst on holiday with her parents in Florida in March 2013.

A spokesman for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: "We accept the jury's findings in this rare and tragic case and we would like to offer our sincere condolences to Kate's family.

"There were aspects of the care Kate received in 2006 that fell below an acceptable standard and once again we would like to offer our sincere apologies to her family."