Deadly 'mystery' doctor missed

A doctor failed to spot a teenager's appendicitis two days before the illness killed her, an inquest heard yesterday.

Dr Geoffrey Barron instead diagnosed 13-year-old Zoe Weeks as having gastroenteritis. He also told her that she had 'a mystery illness suffered by people in Afghanistan'.

Zoe went to the GP on May 8, 2002, complaining of diarrhoea and stomach pains. Dr Barron examined her stomach, prescribed tablets to stop the diarrhoea and told her to come back by the end of the week if she was still sick.

The teenager returned with similar symptoms and this time, after examining her, the doctor replaced the diarrhoea tablets with pills to stop stomach cramps.

Her mother, Kara Munt, said: 'He told Zoe, "You have the mystery illness which they have over in Afghanistan".'

Two days later, Zoe started to become delirious and violently ill. She had fallen unconscious by the time paramedics arrived and died 40 minutes later.

Ms Munt, who is divorced from Zoe's father David Weeks, told the inquest: 'It was really scary. The vomiting was just non-stop, it was just coming out - then her head rolled back.'

A post-mortem examination showed that Zoe, of Southsea, Hampshire, died of peritonitis and a ruptured appendix.

Portsmouth coroner David Horsley said: 'We cannot expect a GP to be an omniscient superman but at the end of the day, despite two examinations, the diagnosis and treatment was not correct.'

However, an independent medical adviser told the inquest: 'Her symptoms and physical signs closely mimicked those of gastro-enteritis.'

George Thomas, for Dr Barron, said the doctor was no longer practising as a GP and added: 'He feels devastated about what happened.'

The Crown Prosecution Service said the case would not go to court.