A law student would likely not have died if he had seen his GP face-to-face, a coroner has ruled.
David Nash, a 26-year-old musician and second-year law student at Leeds University, died after four remote GP consultations. His parents, Andrew and Anne Nash, say they feel vindicated after a coroner ruled it is likely he would have lived if he had been given a face-to-face appointment.
Mr and Mrs Nash, from Nantwich in Cheshire, have fought for more than two years to find out whether their son would have lived if he had been seen in-person by clinical staff at Burley Park Medical Centre, in Leeds.
On Friday, they said they were "both saddened and vindicated by the findings that the simple and obvious, necessary step of seeing him in person would have saved his life" and wanted to make sure "others don't die as David did".
'Missed opportunity'
The couple were speaking outside Wakefield Coroner's Court after Abigail Combes, the assistant coroner, ruled it was a "missed opportunity" when an advanced nurse practitioner failed to arrange a face-to-face appointment for the student after he complained of fever, neck stiffness and night-time headaches during a telephone consultation on November 2 2020.
Ms Combes said this meant the neurosurgery he underwent on what turned out to be a brain abscess was 10 hours later than it could have been.
The coroner said in her narrative conclusion: "On November 2, 2020 there was a missed opportunity to direct David to seek face-to-face care during his GP appointment that morning.
"Had he been directed to seek face-to-face or urgent care by the GP practice, it is more likely than not that he would have undergone neurosurgery approximately 10 hours earlier than he actually did which, at that time, it is more likely than not would have been successful."
A week-long inquest heard how David Nash first contacted the practice on October 14 2020 and told a GP over the phone about his concerns about lumps on his neck.
He rang again on October 23 and told an advanced nurse practitioner about his painful and hot right ear.
On October 28, he told a locum GP he had blood in his urine and he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.
His fourth consultation was with another advanced nurse practitioner who diagnosed a flu-like viral infection on November 2.
The coroner heard his condition deteriorated on November 2 and he and his partner made five calls to NHS 111, which his parents have described as "shambolic".
After the final NHS 111 call, Mr Nash was taken to St James's Hospital in Leeds by ambulance and later transferred to Leeds General Infirmary for neurosurgery. He died on November 4.
He had developed mastoiditis in his ear which caused an abscess on his brain, leading to his death, the inquest heard.
The coroner said a statement from Dr Neil Lawton, a partner at Burley Park Medical Centre, detailed the changes that have taken place at the surgery since the student's death and apologised to the family.
