Overview

• The inquest found that GP assessment using the Centor score led to an ear infection diagnosis and a topical spray instead of oral antibiotics when Charlotte Alderson first fell ill in December 2022.
• Post-mortem throat swabs confirmed group A streptococcus in Mrs Alderson’s bloodstream, triggering septic shock and multi-organ failure.
• A senior EMT who attended Alderson on December 21 recorded generally normal vital signs, failed to spot her blue-tinged lips and decided against hospital conveyance.
• Coroner Darren Stewart recommended consolidating Centor and Feverpain into a single scoring tool and fast-tracking point-of-care tests such as CRP, finger-prick and lateral-flow assays.
• The jury highlighted deficiencies in NHS 111 call-handling and ambulance triage that delayed urgent care, and noted that proposed reforms are still under review.