Schoolgirl almost chokes to death twice during 3 year NHS wait for operation

A 12-year-old girl is having to wait three years for an despite choking twice and in "agony" due to a .

Lauren Crome has been suffering from bouts of severe tonsillitis since she was three years old, having up to seven episodes a year. She has missed weeks of at a time and has had to abandon her dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer because she is so poorly and cannot risk infection.

Last year she was finally referred to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children where her parents were told there was a waiting list for treatment of 18 months. But a year later that waiting list for day surgery has risen to three years.

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Lauren’s dad Stephen and mum Kellie have now been left living in fear. Stephen, 39, a charge nurse on an alcohol and drug recovery ward, said: “Near enough every time the schools come back from a break she comes down with it. Last April she saw an ENT specialist who said he saw what they think are polyps on her tonsils.

"She literally can’t speak for two weeks, she is in agony and she has choked a couple of times. I have had to save her life twice with abdominal thrusts. There is no way she could go to school when she has it. She is too unwell for school.”

Lauren is about to start second year at Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh where she will shortly be choosing her subjects and, with ambitions of becoming a doctor, days away from school are a worry.

Stephen told the : “She has missed so much school over the last three or four years because of it.” Two years ago the tonsillitis caused her to develop mesenteric adenitis, a painful abdominal condition triggered by viral or bacterial infections.

Stephen said: “She was off school for months, she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t speak, she had to live downstairs in the house because she couldn’t get up the stairs. It is just cruel to have somebody living like this, particularly a 12-year-old kid.

"She got put on the list last April we were told it would be 18 months. I phoned up at to get her put on the cancellation list and they said at that point it was two years.

“I phoned up last week to let them know she had choked again and at that point I was told it was three years. They said a consultant would phone me back but a week later I have heard nothing.

“I’ve had have to save her life twice. It was lucky I was there because if not I don’t know what would have happened. Both times she had tonsillitis and she has not choked any other time so it is quite clearly because of her tonsils.

“Every time she gets it, it is getting worse and she is missing two weeks of school every couple of months. Choking is a life threatening thing and it’s not something to be mucked about with when it can be easily dealt with by a simple out-patient operation; why it is three years is mental.

“I asked Lauren what she would do if she won the lottery, what would she buy first. She said she would pay to get her tonsils out. That’s crazy that a 12-year-old’s dreams are that.”

The family are now looking into possibly taking a bank loan to pay privately for Lauren to have the operation. Stephen said: “There is no way we can wait another 18 months to two years for an operation. That would be her Highers gone. It is hard for her to keep catching up.

"But if nothing happens within the next six months we will have to seriously look into that but something doesn’t feel right about doing that. The is supposed to be free for those who need it and if you are having to go private for something as simple as this what is the point in the NHS?”

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman, said: “No parent should have to worry their child could choke to death just because the has failed to get to grip with waiting lists.

“This situation is completely unacceptable and is causing untold misery to the family involved. The SNP must ensure Lauren receives the treatment she needs as soon as possible so that she can focus on her education and the family does not need to live in fear.”

Dr Claire Harrow, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services, apologised for the “ongoing health challenges and the distress this is causing”.

She said while they could not comment on individual cases “we understand how difficult it is for anyone managing repeated episodes of tonsillitis”.