Asthma attack 'not overlooked'

Owen died after suffering an asthma attack

A family doctor has denied that she overlooked a young boy's severe asthma attack which proved to be fatal.

Owen Charleston, from Cumbernauld, collapsed and died at a health centre in Cumbernauld in August 2002.

Dr Julie Mallon rejected suggestions that she had placed too much emphasis on suspecting that the eight-year-old suffered a panic attack.

But she told a fatal accident inquiry that she had asked Owen's mother to fetch his nebuliser mask from home.

Dr Mallon said she wanted to save money for the NHS. The masks cost between £20 and £30.

The 36-year-old told the inquiry that she treated Owen at the Central Health Centre in Cumbernauld on the day he died.

Doctor's surgery

Prosecutor Ann Ferguson asked Dr Mallon whether she had placed too much emphasis on him panicking and "overlooked a severe life-threatening, and in his case life-ending, asthma attack".

Dr Mallon replied: "At his earlier presentation at 4pm, no."

Owen was taken to see Dr Mallon at her surgery by his mother Michelle Hynes, 36, and aunt Gillian O'Neill.

The doctor, who had not treated Owen previously, said: "He came in and sat in my room.

My treatment of him was based on my clinical experience Dr Julie Mallon

"Initially he appeared quite anxious, unsettled, but I wouldn't go as far as saying agitated, and appeared visibly to calm down.

"I had a very quick listen to his chest and his air entry was good."

Dr Mallon said she talked to Owen to assess his respiratory rate and was "not overly concerned".

However, she had been concerned that his peak flow - which measures the flow of air from the lungs - was low.

"My treatment of him was based on my clinical experience," she said.

"I have to make judgement calls all the time and see about 43 patients a day.

Nebuliser mask

"I asked for him to be nebulised as I knew at the time he had been nebulised at the centre before."

Dr Mallon said she had asked Owen's mother for his nebuliser mask before treating him.

Her sister was sent to retrieve it from the family's home in Cumbernauld, a process which took 20 minutes.

"It's not a big issue, there are lots of them in the health centre. We've got an NHS so why waste anything," said Dr Mallon.

Michelle Hynes took her son to the GPs' surgery

Dr Mallon denied suggestions that she did not examine Owen again before sending him home.

"I would never have let a patient leave without listening to their chest," she said.

Dr Mallon said that Owen "appeared distressed" when he was brought back to the surgery later that day.

"I got him a wheelchair. When I examined him there was a markedly increased respiratory rate and heart rate, agitated and lashing out," she said.

"He had pins and needles in his feet and couldn't sip water to take steroid tablets."

Pronounced dead

She said that Owen stopped breathing shortly afterwards.

Attempts to revive the youngster were not successful and paramedics were called to the surgery.

They took Owen to Monklands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The inquiry at Airdrie Sheriff Court, before Sheriff Robert Dickson, continues.