Science/Tech

Five-year-old Girl Died Of Asthma After GP Turned Her Away For Being 4 Minutes Late

By Anne Collins | Update Date: Feb 27, 2017 08:10 AM EST

Ellie-May Clark died on Jan. 26, 2015 of an asthma attack after Dr. Joanne Rowe, 53, refused to see them. The Clark family has called for a criminal inquiry into the doctor and said her license should be removed. Dr. Rowe was given a warning by the General Medical Council.

BBC reported that Dr. Rowe, from Cardiff, did not comment on the issue. Ellie-May's mother, Shanice, 25, from Newport, South Wales said they were only a few minutes.

Ellie-May had a history of severe asthma and she had already been treated five times in a hospital high dependency unit. Dr. Rowe's practice had been warned by a pediatrician that Ellie-May was at risk of a life-threatening asthma attack according to The Sun.

Ellie-May was sent home early from school, Shanice made an emergency appointment for 5 P.M. at the Grange Clinic. When she checked her phone, time showed 5:04 P.M. when they arrived.

After they were turned away they went home and called 999 at 10:35 P.M. when Ellie-May suffered a seizure and stopped breathing. They took her to the Royal Gwent Hospital via ambulance. Doctors worked on Elli-May for 30 minutes but were unable to bring her back.

Brandi Clark, 43, Ellie-May's grandmother said they felt terribly let down and that Dr. Rowe should go to jail. Dr. Rowe did not issue any apology and is still in practice.

The General Medical Council investigation found Rowe failed to consider the medical history of the child and was given a warning that will stay on her record for five years.

The Aneurin Bevan Health Board reported that Shanice and Ellie-May arrived 8 minutes late. The report said the receptionist called Dr. Rowe, but she refused to see them and claimed she was with another patient. The health board checked the computer records and found that she did not see any patients between 4:55 and 5:20 after a number of cancelled appointments.

After being suspended on full pay for six months, Dr Rowe has since joined the Cloughmore Surgery in Splott, Cardiff.

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