There are few things more devastating than losing a child. My nephew, Hudson, was just two years old when a tragic misdiagnosis during a phone consultation cost him his life. His parents were told he had gastroenteritis and were advised to “keep trying to get fluids into him”. Trusting the advice, they did their best to keep him hydrated, believing he would improve.
But Hudson’s condition deteriorated rapidly. After another desperate call to 111, they were offered an appointment later that day. It was already too late. His decline was so sudden and severe that they rushed him straight to hospital. There, Hudson suffered two cardiac arrests. Despite the best efforts of hospital staff, he tragically passed away.
A post-mortem examination later revealed what the phone call could not: Hudson had a twisted bowel, a condition that led to catastrophic organ failure.
Had he been seen in person, doctors would have recognised the physical signs — the pain he couldn’t express in words and the subtle but telling clues no phone or video call can capture. But at just two years old, Hudson couldn’t tell us what was wrong.
That is why I have launched a petition calling for mandatory face-to-face GP appointments for all children under five.
Telemedicine has its place, of course. It offers convenience and accessibility, and for many adults, it can be a helpful option. But it should never, ever be a substitute for in-person assessments when it comes to our youngest children. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has itself warned that young children’s conditions are often difficult to interpret remotely. Their bodies cannot always fight off illnesses quickly, and their symptoms can escalate without warning. Crucially, they often cannot articulate what they’re feeling, meaning it falls to clinicians to pick up on physical cues that simply aren’t visible through a screen or over the phone.
As parents and carers, we have an instinct when something isn’t right. We know our children better than anyone. But we need the support of healthcare professionals who can examine them properly — not through a camera lens, but in person. No family should ever have to endure what ours has been through.
We are fighting for change, in Hudson’s name, to spare other families from the unimaginable pain of losing a child to a preventable misdiagnosis. Mandatory face-to-face consultations for under-fives could save countless young lives. It is a small, simple step that could make an enormous difference.
Please, sign my petition. Together, we can make this vital change and protect our precious young ones. No family should have to experience this heartbreak.
Sign the petition here with one click — and help save lives.
