Staffordshire hospital turned away nurse's daughter over Covid fears

A nurse's daughter was turned away from a hospital because of her mother's contact with Covid patients.

Critical care nurse Tracy Shenton arranged an appointment at Bradwell Hospital in Staffordshire, so her daughter would not have to go to A&E.

But, after telling staff of her role at the Royal Stoke Hospital they were asked to leave, meaning they had to go to A&E where they waited five hours.

North Staffordshire GP Federation has apologised to the family.

Ms Shenton had arranged the appointment for her 12-year-old daughter, Emily, on 24 October, over the phone because she was regularly fainting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

When they entered the hospital in Newcastle-under-Lyme Ms Shenton told staff she came into contact with Covid patients in her role as a nurse. A receptionist asked her to leave and to wait in the car for further instructions.

"We waited in the car for about 15 minutes and then they [hospital staff] phoned me and said because I had been in contact with Covid patients they wouldn't be able to see my daughter," the mum-of-two from Sneyd Green said.

Ms Shenton said she has been working in full PPE gear since February.

Regardless, she was told she would need to rearrange an appointment through her GP.

"I explained that my family were being discriminated against," she said. "I was told that was not the case, but if my husband had taken her the appointment would have gone ahead.

"I'm so angry and upset."

The mother and daughter then spent five hours in A&E, however Emily's condition, for which she has missed school, is yet to be diagnosed.

North Staffordshire GP Federation said it has "processes in place for screening patients" but has "made some changes as a result of this".

"We have made changes as a result of this and advised our reception team accordingly so that this scenario will not be repeated.

"We would like to discuss this case to both ensure we learn any further lessons from it and apologise personally for the poor experience she received on that day."

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