Kyle had 'remote' survival chance

The inquiry heard Kyle was showing the most severe symptoms

A toddler would probably have died of a meningitis-related condition even if he had been taken to hospital immediately, an inquiry has heard.

The fatal accident inquiry into the death of Kyle Brown had previously been told that mistakes by NHS 24 delayed him getting to hospital by an hour.

But paediatrician Dr John Beattie told the inquiry there was only a "remote chance" Kyle would have lived.

He said even if he had lived Kyle would have suffered brain damage.

Dr John Beattie, a consultant at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill in Glasgow, said 20-month-old Kyle would also have lost both his hands and feet because the meningococcal septicaemia was so severe and advanced.

'Point of death'

The consultant, who prepared a report following Kyle's death, was appearing as a witness for NHS 24 at the fatal accident inquiry at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Dr Beattie, 55, said Kyle was at "the most severe end of the spectrum" of meningococcal sepsis when he arrived at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on 1 April.

He was given emergency medical treatment shortly after arriving but had not responded to it nor improved.

Dr Beattie said: "What was frightening about Kyle's story was how rapidly he became ill. By the time he arrived at ERI he was virtually dead. When you lose your blood pressure as a child you are almost at the point of death."

Earlier in the hearing, NHS 24 staff admitted taking 40 minutes to return a call to Kyle's mother because the case had been wrongly prioritised.

The chances of him surviving intact were zero Dr John Beattie Consultant paediatrician

A nurse then ordered a taxi to take the child to an outpatient centre rather than sending him by ambulance to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

Medical staff calculated that instead of arriving at ERI at 0423 BST, Kyle could have been at the children's hospital at least 50 minutes earlier.

However, Dr Beattie said he did not believe the mistake had cost Kyle his life.

He said: "The chances of him surviving intact were zero. If he had survived he would probably have lost both his hands and feet and maybe other limbs and he would have had some degree of brain damage."

"I think it is unlikely he would have survived but I could not say it is impossible," he added.