A 16-year-old teenager died of a brain hemorrhage when medical staff failed to give her a brain scan because they thought she had a stomach infection, the Daily Mail reported Monday.
Jenna Lester’s parents told doctors at Medway Maritime Hospital in Kent, England, that their daughter had been suffering from severe headaches, fainting and vomiting, but she was not considered a “patient of high priority.”
Instead, doctors waited nearly five days to give her a brain scan, which showed a blood clot on her brain.
Jenna’s parents said at that point, doctors turned to them and said, “We should have done the scan days ago.”
Jenna was transferred to King’s College Hospital in London for a surgical procedure to remove the clot. Initially, surgeons thought the procedure was successful, but then Jenna’s brain swelled and she died.
In a legal battle that has lasted nearly three years, the National Health Services admitted it ‘failed to properly assess and investigate the teenager’s condition.’
Jenna’s parents, Mark, 42, and Sonia, 40, were given about $14,400 in compensation.
“While nothing can compensate for this tragic experience, lessons have been learned and robust arrangements are in place to ensure this does not happen again,” the NHS Trust said.
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