Toddler stopped breathing and died outside GP surgery after being ‘made to wait 70 minutes to see a doctor’
Lucie Linforth who died at Marston Surgery in Marston Moretain near Bedford after a 70 minute wait to be seen by a GP
A toddler who was made to wait to see a doctor for 70 minutes at a GP surgery stopped breathing and died, it has been claimed.
Lucie Linforth, aged 23 months, was taken to her local GP practice after suffering overnight with a severe cough and fever.
Her parents Angie Collins, 40, and Eric Linforth, 33, were concerned at how quickly her condition had deteriorated.
Eric says he arrived at 8.45am before the surgery had even opened at 9am and pleaded with reception staff to get her medical attention.
But Eric claims he was repeatedly told to wait by staff at Marston Surgery in Bedford.
Eric says he ”begged” five more times over the next hour for a doctor to see his little girl as she struggled to breath and her lips turned blue.
But he claims the receptionist didn’t even look at the sick child in his arms as he was told to wait his “turn”.
Eric says when he became agitated the female receptionist pointed to a sign warning that patients deemed to be abusive would not be seen at all.
Desperate Eric says he had to wait 70 minutes before anyone saw Lucie – when she was taken into the “minor illness” examination room to be seen by a nurse at 10.10am.
By that time her heart had stopped beating and when doctors at the practice realised the seriousness of her condition they rushed to help.
They spent 45 minutes trying to resuscitate her and she was rushed to Bedford Hospital where an emergency team kept working to save her life, but nothing could be done.
An inquest into the death was opened and adjourned on Friday, but the results of a post-mortem have so far proven inconclusive.
The couple claim the wasted time could have saved their daughter’s life.
Lucy’s grieving mother Angie Collins
Angie with son Jake, Lucy’s twin brother
Floral tributes that were left at Marston Surgery, where Lucy stopped breathing
Electrictian Eric said: “After about 20 minutes waiting at the surgery she got worse, her lips were blue, she was really hot and was having trouble breathing.
“I went up about four or five times to ask to be seen. Finally I went up and I said they have to call an ambulance because she had got so bad.
“They took her into the nurse’s room, but by that point her heart had stopped beating.”
Full-time-mum Angie, added: “This should never happen again to any other family. I will never get over this.
“I want to get Lucie’s story out there and try to stop it happening again.
Marston Surgery, where Angie claims that they had to wait 70 minutes for Lucy to see a doctor
“She was so full of life and I feel really angry that there was an hour and ten minutes where nothing was done.
“I feel they took away her lifeline. All I can do now is carry on fighting, I need justice for my little girl.
“And once I have that I will carry on fighting for the rest of my life until the system is changed. This cannot ever happen again.
“I will keep saying this, she was a healthy, vibrant, lively character full of fight, and her life was just chucked away that morning.
“If people had just opened their eyes they would have seen just how poorly she was. Time was precious and it was wasted sat waiting.”
Lucie died on October 5 this year after she had been unwell at her home in Bedford the night before.
Her dad Eric took her to their local GP’s surgery while her mum Angie stayed at home with Lucie’s twin brother Jake, and her elder sister Holly, three.
The father and daughter arrived at the doctors’ practise at 8.45am ready for it opening at 9am.
Eric asked a receptionist if his daughter could see a doctor – but was told there was already a queue of 20 people waiting.
The worried dad took a seat with his sick toddler in the waiting room but started demanding help when he saw her lips turn blue after 20 minutes.
The receptionist, Eric claims, failed to even look at the child who was dying in his arms and insisted that he wait his turn.
He begged with receptionist to see a doctor five more times before he demanded someone called for an ambulance as he flet his daughter slipping away.
At around 10.10am Lucie was then taken in to see the “minor illness” nurse who began to examine her but it was then that she stopped breathing.
Pathologists says more tests are needed before they can be certain about the cause of death.
Police are investigating the events surrounding the death and are preparing a report to be handed to the coroner.
Angie yesterday (Mon) praised the medics of the doctors who tried to save her – but slammed the culture or receptionists playing God with peoples’ lives.
More than a million people have visited a Facebook campaign page dedicated to Lucie, and which has 30,000 ‘likes’.
Doctor Fiona Sim, medical director for NHS Bedfordshire and Luton, said: “This is a tragic death of a little girl and our thoughts and condolences are with the family.
“The family must be going through terrible turmoil at this devastating time.
“It is vital that the evidence and facts are gathered so we can all understand what actually happened in this tragic case.
“As this is an unexpected death, there is an ongoing coroner’s enquiry and we are providing every assistance as well as working with the practice to carry out an internal investigation.
“Local NHS services are supporting the family and we wish to offer our full support in any way that we can to help all involved during such a difficult time.”
A police investigation has been launched, although the death is not being treated as suspicious. An inquest was opened and adjourned on Friday.
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This is only one side of the story. There is a lot to this that is still to come out. There is still no coroners report and no cause of death. The police have said there is no criminal case. Angie is now using Justice for Lucie on Facebook to incite anger towards the receptionist. What hasn’t been said is that she wasn’t at the surgery and none of the other patients have come forward to corroborate Erics story. They weren’t even registered at the surgery. There needs to be a period of grief as spending all the time searching for vengeance will bring nothing but more problems.
What other side is there? The receptionist has no defence, regardless of being registered or not we are all uk citizens entitled to NHS care! Regardless of that fact, anyone in a health/care sector has to safeguard those who are vulnerable, it is their duty of care! It’s a humane instinct to want to protect and look
After children, anyone who does not have that instinct or iniative to recognise a child who needs urgent assistance is careless and should not be in that job, no doubt you are related in some form to the receptionist, she should be done for manslaughter. Justice for lucie and protection for our children!
I certainly wouldnt have waited 70 minutes if my child was as ill as the father states.. why didnt he take her to hospital or atleast phone an ambulane himself!!!
Could it be that the receptionist is being used as a scape goat?????
Through the parents own actions ??? blaming somebody else could be easing their guilt for not seeking emergency treatment straight away!!!
Im sorry but who would sit in a doctors surgery for 70 minutes if their childs lips were turning blue????
In one of the mothers posts on facebook she states that her son was ill so she took him straight to a+e so they werent taking any chances, surely if they done the same for their daughter things may have been different???
There is no further police enquiry into this incident.
I sadly agree with you, he should have taken her straight to hospital. Who waits for 70 mins to see a Doctor if your child is that ill?
For any adult to stand back and what while a toddler struggling to breath SHOCKING.
I HOPE SHE AND WHO EVER ELSE IS INVOLED ROTS IN HELL
JFL♥
That’s all very well saying that Kelly but there’s 2 sides to every story. You and other people who support JFL hang on every post in Facebook so clearly that makes you no better than the rest who have been brainwashed into thinking it’s the receptionists fault. Anon, I saw that very same post too through a friends but what mortified me more than ever was seeing a post through my feed when the lil girls mother wished it had of happened to her son instead of her daughter. That was around Christmas time. That Facebook page is tainted with nothing more than bitter evil people and those that support the page are every much as bad supporting the posts the child’s mother puts on there as well as those who have aired their not so nice views about the receptionist. It’s ok for nasty comments to be said about her yet if something’s said to the child’s mother from the public, admins are quick enough to remove the comments that are made. It’s a disgrace that the page isn’t really used for the title itself. Just a venting ground for people to air their judgemental comments about one person they deem to see fit that it’s ok to slander.
I fully agree. Some of the so called supporters don’t care less about the child….they just want to spout bile.
Unfortunately for this family, I believe that if the receptionist had noted the problem and alerted the doctor, this would not have happened. At one point I had a similar instance, and finally I just walked back and talked to the nurse and we got my son the help he needed. IF that child had been bleeding all over the place, it would have been more noticeable.
This has also been known to happen at our local hospital – I experienced it first hand. I have severe allergies and was put in the waiting room, others there put up a stink and insisted that they take me (I had trouble breathing and was turning blue) and they finally looked – I ended up being rushed into a room and taken care of and spent 3 days in intensive care after being intubated… My family doctor finally told me that if I felt it was that urgent, don’t wait for him, just call an ambulance. So far, that advice has saved my life an additional 2 times. FYI – I carry 3 epi pens and a host of other medications and still have had to be hospitalized. My heart breaks for this family. One person’s incorrect action should not have such fatal result – if people would just pay attention to others…
I hope the receptionist has nightmares for the rest of her life!
What right does a receptionist have to choose if its bad enough to see a doctor or not ?? we have the same at our surgery. they are like trying to get through a gorilla. justice for lucie xx
There needs to be a triage system with a qualified medical practioner not a receptionist. A receptionist is not a trained medical. Professional. Something is very wring here.
I am a member of Justice For Lucie and have not once seen Angie incite hatred many others have expressed their opinion of this receptionist many of these have been of hatred, but if you read through alot of Angies posts she clearly states this is not a campaign to incite hatred but to alert other parents and get justice for her daughters life that was taken too young through the ignorance of one person.
Actually if you’re a member of her page, there has been slanderous remarks that has been on the JFL Facebook Page which you are fully aware that one of the comments a while back was reported. I believe she put something to the effect of she hopes people have a horrible Christmas because of the tragedy of her daughter. I believe at that time, it did turn quite a few heads as far as her hatred goes and since then there has also been personal slanderous remarks made towards the receptionist too. I have to agree with what others are saying, we’re only seeing one side of the story being published by the media. We’re not seeing the full facts so really we as the public shouldn’t be judging someone just because we only see one side of the story and if the child was ill the night before, I would of sent them to A & E. Remind yourself, if you were that worried about your kid, wouldn’t you have done something there and then rather than leave it a day after knowing how ill they were. Especially with a kid at 23 months.. People who point fingers might wanna rethink about what they say.
I would like to know what the mother was doing whilst the dad was gone for 70 mins with the child. Surely she would have rung to see how her daughter was?
I hope Angie is getting the correct legal advice she clearly needs because if she has been then she would know a medical receptionist alerts the GP to all emergencies coming in and its down to the doctors discretion who is seen and how long they need to wait.
The witch hunt for the receptionist is wrong as so many people have clearly pointed out medical receptionists do not have the appropriate training.Whether the receptionist alerted the GP to the deteriation of Lucie i dont know but if Lucie was kept waitng over an hour that was down to the GP not the receptionist.
There is two sides to every story and the fact not one of those supposed other emergencies has come forward to back up what Angie and her partner is saying is strange.
The receptionist is a middle man they pass on information,they do not have the power to make any decision…all decisions are made by the GP…remember that.
If my child was that bad I would have gone to a & e not a go surgery ! They need to accept some responsibility if she was so ill a&e would have been my first port if call
I think Angie’s constant referal to trolls on her facebook page, along with her disgusting language is just provoking people to attack her.
She is a forty odd year old woman…she is turning her daughter’s page is a hate page….she should behave a bit more dignified and have a bit more respect for the page she has set up in her daughter’s memory.
I know she is grieving but her behaviour on there is shameful.
Agree, Angie is giving out anger because she knows that she should have done more as a mother herself.
who actually leaves there child over night if they have a really bad fever, i would rush mine down the a&e at that point, not wait till the morning and then go to a gp surgery the least they could do is take her to children’s a&e even if it is a 4 hr wait, or ring an ambulance. its parents like these that shouldn’t even have children. and then stand in the doctors for 70 mins watching there child’s lips turn blue? why didn’t they ask for an ambulance, if there that STUPID why hasn’t there other child been taken away? wheres social services in all this?
I made a comment not even bad and was banned from her page. She is a very sick woman, her son is a mess and sure her other daughter is getting there. Their guilt is aimed at receptionist rather than taking responsibility for their daughter’s death. If you say anything constructive but not to her liking you are banned so she and her tribe can talk hate and more hate, sick page why FB allows it beyond me.
Yet they both come on, Angie and her hubby telling people how disgusted they are of the comments of some people yet slander, swear, lash out etc at the rest of the world. I don’t care what their supporters have to say but I do agree with others who have said about the receptionist being used as an escape goat to hide their guilt. Leaving it a day after to take the lil girl to the dr then the father waiting a further 75mins, their childs death was a cause by them both of neglecting their daughter’s urgent care.