Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Coroner critical of diagnosis delay

Updated at 10:24 am on 4 November 2011

A coroner is criticising Auckland City hospital for failing to diagnose a man with meningococcal C disease before it was too late.

Zach Gravatt, 22, a medical student died five hours after he was taken to hospital by ambulance, following a visit to his GP in 2009.

Coroner Brandt Shortland says medical staff needed to take into account illnesses with similar symptoms when they diagnosed Mr Gravatt with influenza or swine flu.

He also expressed concern Mr Gravatt was not assessed by a doctor for almost two hours after arriving at the hospital.

A report included in the coroner's findings says that if processes been followed, the right diagnosis could have been made hours before the doctors realised what was wrong.

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