A three-year-old girl, Penny Stevens, died just hours after being wrongly diagnosed with a “typical viral rash” — a fatal error that turned out to be a missed case of Strep A. The tragic incident unfolded amid the chaos of an overwhelmed UK hospital system during a surge in pediatric illnesses.
Penny’s mother, Jemma Graham, brought her daughter to St Richard’s Hospital in West Sussex on December 3, 2022, after the little girl had battled a persistent cough and fever for three days. Upon arrival, Jemma was stunned by the overcrowded and noisy conditions. “I have never seen a waiting room so busy and noisy that I was taken aback. The room got busier and busier… louder and louder,” she recalled to Daily Mail.
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Despite her growing concern, medical staff downplayed the severity of Penny’s symptoms. A triage nurse reassured Jemma that “the rash is just a typical viral rash,” and a doctor echoed that sentiment. With no further tests or treatment, Jemma was sent home with her daughter — still unaware that Penny was suffering from a deadly Strep A infection.
By the following day, Penny’s condition had not improved. In a panic, Jemma called emergency services. However, the ambulance took four excruciating hours to arrive. Penny was rushed to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, but sadly, she passed away shortly after arrival.
The grieving mother described the experience as resembling a “third world country” and expressed deep regret over ever going to the overcrowded St Richard’s Hospital. “I can’t forgive those that should have helped us,” Jemma said, heartbroken.
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She also described the emergency department as packed with children crying in their parents’ arms, noting that there were no available seats and staff were visibly overwhelmed. The surge in hospital visits was reportedly linked to rising public fear over a wave of Strep A infections sweeping through the UK at the time.
One of the nurses who treated Penny admitted that staff were “utterly blindsided” by the influx of patients, sparked in part by media reports about the illness. The inquest into Penny’s death is ongoing, as calls grow louder for better hospital preparedness and faster emergency response times during public health surges.
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