Girl, 5, died hours after being sent home from GP with tummy bug

A young girl tragically died just hours after a doctor sent her home with a tummy bug, an inquest has heard.

Five-year-old Esma Guzel had been sent home by her GP but, when her condition deteriorated hours later, was told to seek further help. She was on her way to see another out-of-hours GP when she had a cardiac arrest and tragically died in the early hours of May 10, 2019.

It was later discovered that Esma had a rare health condition that was not found prior to her death and caused the cardiac arrest. Esma's pre-existing undetected condition, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), could not be identified in pre-natal ultrasounds, and was also not diagnosed when Esma was seen by her GP the evening before she died, Hull Live reports.

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Esma's mum previously spoke to Hull Live in the immediate months after Esma's tragic death to help raise awareness of CDH. She said Esma had been acting 'normal' when she suddenly began to feel unwell.

"She came home from school and was normal, went to my mum’s for her tea and just said, ‘Nanna, I feel sick’ and she was sick at my mum’s house." The family made an appointment to see a GP on the evening of May 9, where an assessment made of Esma concluded the cause was likely a tummy bug, but advice was given to contact NHS 111 if the ill health continued.

Esma's mum then called 111 at 1.38am on May 10 and was advised to take her to an out-of-hours GP service in Beverley, Yorkshire. Tragically, by the time Esma and her dad reached the location, she had died. A doctor carried out CPR and Esma was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary, but it was too late.

A full day of evidence was heard at Hull Coroners' Court on Monday (21 March) at the inquest into her heartbreaking death.