Brilliant schoolgirl dies after 'tragic' case of NHS neglect

Neglect by ambulance workers contributed to the death of an A* 15-year-old schoolgirl who had meningitis, a coroner has concluded. Zara Cheesman, from the Mapperley Park area of Nottingham, died at the city’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) two days before Christmas last year after showing “red flags” of the disease.

Concluding the inquest at Nottingham Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, coroner Elizabeth Didcock said: “I’m satisfied neglect contributed to Zara’s death. In this case, it is the total picture of the EMAS (East Midlands Ambulance Service) assessment that amounts to neglect.”

She said there were “gross failings to provide basic care” when two technicians assessed Zara and did not take her to hospital, adding: “There was a

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