Hospital admits errors over death

Jenna Lester was not given a scan when she first went to hospital

A hospital in Kent has told the grieving parents of a 16-year-old girl that she might still be alive had doctors acted sooner.

Jenna Lester was diagnosed with an infection by the Medway Maritime Hospital after collapsing at home.

But less than a week later she suffered a seizure and a scan revealed a brain clot, but the diagnosis was too late.

The hospital said lessons had been learnt and steps were in place to ensure the case would not be repeated.

It also said it accepted there was a misunderstanding over when a CT scanner would be available.

As parents we gave our daughter over to the hospital to look after and make well Mark Lester, father

Jenna's parents, Sonia and Mark Lester, said her death in February 2006 had destroyed their family.

"It's as though someone's got your insides and ripped them all out. We're just empty shells now," Mr Lester said.

"As parents we gave our daughter over to the hospital to look after and make well and in our eyes they didn't know what they were doing."

In a letter to the family, the NHS Litigation Authority said the Medway Maritime Hospital had "failed to properly assess and investigate Jenna".

It said there had been a failure to carry out a CT scan "at an appropriately early time", and if one had been carried out "she may have survived".

The family have been awarded £10,000 in compensation, but said that meant nothing without Jenna.