Melody Driscoll: Doctors ignored concerns over seriously ill girl

Singer Ed Sheeran visited Melody Driscoll at Epsom Hospital in November 2016

Doctors ignored the concerns of a seriously ill girl's parents before reducing her pain medication, an inquest has heard.

Melody Driscoll, from Croydon, died aged 11 at King's College Hospital (KCH) in July 2018.

Her mother Karina Driscoll and stepfather Nigel alleged the actions of KCH reduced Melody's quality of life.

She told Southwark Coroner's Court that a reduction in painkillers also contributed to her daughter's death.

The family had been in dispute with KCH over the treatment given to Melody, who had several conditions including Rett syndrome, a rare and life-limiting genetic disorder that causes mental and physical disability.

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Doctors wanted to wean Melody off painkillers, but her parents objected because the plan went against the treatment regime she had previously been prescribed at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

GOSH was responsible for much of Melody's care until she was 10 - but she was later treated at KCH, in Camberwell, until her death.

The court heard Melody suffered from very severe pain, requiring continuous relief, including morphine, for much of her life.

Melody Driscoll was described by her mum as a "stunning, vibrant, happy little girl who loved life"

In a written statement read out by barrister Patricia Woodcock QC, Mrs Driscoll said although her daughter could not speak, she made recognisable signs when she was in pain, including tensing her muscles.

However, she claimed staff at KCH had a "we know best attitude" and did not listen to her concerns.

"I would say that KCH took a very negative view about Melody, and us as a family, from an early age and, for example, started to believe that Melody's pain behaviours were not in fact expressions of pain but her simply 'acting out'," Mrs Driscoll said.

Karina Driscoll felt staff at King's College Hospital 'took a negative view' of Melody and her family, the inquest heard

Mrs Driscoll's statement added that "very serious allegations" were made against her and Melody's stepfather about their ability to care for her.

The inquest heard that a combination of steroid medication and painkillers helped reduce flare-ups during which Melody's pain would be especially severe for days or weeks.

However, Mrs Driscoll said KCH had insisted there was no need for the steroid, reducing her dose in about September 2017.

'Overwhelming sadness'

She added: "KCH had unilaterally decided to stop the medication as there was said to be no supporting evidence for inflammation.

"When Melody was left in severe pain, she tightened her body muscles intensely and clenched and pulled in her limbs. This would worsen the extent of the internal bleeding.

"I still feel an overwhelming sense of sadness that purely because Melody could not herself say what she needed, and KCH were unwilling to learn Melody's ways of communicating her pain or listen to those who knew how she communicated, she was left without appropriate treatment and lost her quality of life."

The inquest continues.