Boy's rash 'slipped my mind', doctor tells inquest

A hospital doctor forgot to look for a reported red rash on a five-year-old boy who subsequently died from a streptococcus A infection, an inquest jury has heard.

Dr Refat Parveen said it "slipped my mind" that a nurse at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth had noted the rash - a possible sign of a serious infection - on Jax Jefferys, from Waterlooville, Hampshire.

She said she was "uneasy" about Jax's condition and was surprised that a consultant agreed that the boy could go home on 30 November 2022.

He died the following day after collapsing while being driven back to hospital by his parents, Winchester Coroner's Court was previously told.

Jax had a four-day-old cough, a red throat and a fever when he was initially taken to hospital, the jury heard.

The court was shown photos, taken by Jax's mother in the emergency department, of redness on his cheeks and chin.

Giving evidence, nurse Lydia Savin said she noticed a red rash on his back, face and neck and reported it.

However, Dr Parveen told the court: "Unfortunately, when I went back to review him, it slipped my mind.

"I didn't specifically go and look for a rash. I should have remembered, but I didn't."

The emergency department doctor said she would have noticed any redness on the boy's face, adding that rashes "can fade or become more prominent".

Dr Parveen was asked about signs of sepsis and scarlet fever, which is related to streptococcus A.

She said: "My thinking was... this could be a more serious illness.

"I did wonder why he's gone home, because I thought the plan was he's going to the paediatric [department]."

She agreed with senior Hampshire coroner Chris Wilkinson that Jax's presentation showed a "moderate to high risk" of sepsis, according to NHS guidelines.

Previously, the boy's mother said the hospital diagnosed flu, said there was "nothing they could do" and agreed he could go home.

Charlene McCormack said the rash spotted by the nurse was ascribed to a possible heat rash and "never mentioned again".

In a statement read out in court, she described her youngest child, who had three older sisters, as "extremely loving, cheeky and boisterous".

The week-long inquest continues.

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