Teenage boy, 17, died of sepsis while mother waited eight hours for a call back from NHS 111, inquest hears

A 17-year-old boy died of sepsis while his mother waited eight gruelling hours for a call back from NHS 111, an inquest heard today.

Cyrus Perry’s mother Hayley said the death of her son was preventable and it would haunt her for the rest of her life.

The teenager fell ill at home in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset, on June 7, 2023. He was struggling to eat, felt sick, had a headache, temperature and dizziness.

His mother called the NHS 111 service at 10.38pm.

The inquest heard the call handler asked her some questions and then advised Mrs Perry to get him to hospital ‘within the hour’ after following the NHS pathways system.

But she told the health advisor he was too ill and she could not safely get him down the stairs and to the car.

The advisor said they would get a clinician to call back.

The hearing heard the phone call should have been made within 20 minutes but it wasn’t until 6.30am that the NHS clinician contacted Mrs Perry.

The teenager fell ill at home in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset, on June 7, 2023. He was struggling to eat, felt sick, had a headache, temperature and dizziness

Mrs Perry said she put the bed cover over her poorly son and a sick bucket next to him and told him she would return when 111 called back.

When the phone rang at 6.30am she went into Cyrus’ bedroom to find him dead.

She said: ‘I shouted on the phone “oh my god, he’s dead.” I was shouting why did you not send anyone?’

A post mortem examination revealed he died from sepsis and group A strep.

Mrs Perry said the death of her son was preventable and she felt ‘let down’ by the system.

She added that Cyrus’ twin brother Reuben was angry at her and the system for ‘taking away his soul mate.’

She said: ‘I have concerns about NHS 111, I feel the death was preventable. I feel let down by NHS 111, I clearly informed them Cyrus was too unwell to get to hospital.

‘This will haunt me for the rest of my life, I put my faith and trust in the system.’

The hearing heard the phone call should have been made within 20 minutes but it wasn’t until 6.30am that the NHS clinician contacted Mrs Perry

A jury inquest into Cyrus’ death began today in Bournemouth.

The hearing heard he had long-term health conditions – lupus, autism and arthritis – and had an operation to fit a grommet and remove his adenoids in April 2023.

He had been ‘more consistently ill’ from May 29 onwards when the family got home from a holiday at Butlins Minehead and by June 7 his health had further deteriorated.

In a statement, Mrs Perry said: ‘He did not want to go to the GP. I said we cannot go on like this, I’m going to call someone even if we have an argument, I knew I needed some help.

‘I told them I could not get him to hospital as he was too unwell. I’m 5ft tall and Cyrus is 6ft 2in. They said I would have to wait for a clinician to review and call back.

‘Cyrus said he just wanted to go to bed. I put the bed cover over him and the sick bucket next to him and said I would come in when 111 called back.

‘I thought they would be busy and we would get some rest before they called.. I went to bed around 12.30am.’

Mrs Perry did not see it until later in the morning, but Cyrus had text her at 3.30am saying he was feeling worse.

She said Cyrus and his twin brother had never spent a day apart and he is now having counselling. 

She said: ‘He is often angry towards me and really towards the system that has taken away his soul mate.’

Dorset area coroner Brendan Allen told the jury Mrs Perry should have had a call back within 20 minutes, by just after 11pm.

He said: ‘The clinician would phone back within 20 minutes of the call. That time frame was not communicated to Mrs Perry, she didn’t know when to expect a call back, just that she would get one.’

The inquest continues.