A BLOOD specialist told an inquiry into the death of a 13-year-old patient he did not carry out a test that would have shown she had leukaemia because it was at night.
Biomedical scientist Alexander McLauchlan, was working out of hours on the night of June 20, 2004, when Kathryn Beattie was admitted to the Victoria Infirmary, in Glasgow.
He tested the blood samples that were sent to the lab and reported the results but said it was "custom and practice" not to look at a test known as a blood film – that would have shown up the leukaemia – out of hours.
Mr McLauchlan was giving evidence at Glasgow Sheriff Court at the fatal accident inquiry into the death of Kathryn, who died at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow on June 21, 2004, after brain surgery.
The inquiry was previously told Kathryn had suffered from mild flu-like symptoms and started taking antibiotics days before her death but had begun to feel better. She was taken to hospital after her family became increasingly concerned again about her.
After a brain scan that showed bleeding she was transferred to the Southern General Hospital for surgery but died later that day.
The court heard that a blood film test – involving blood pressed between two pieces of glass, stained and analysed – would have been carried out if Kathryn had been at the hospital during the day. But, out of hours – after 1pm on a Sunday afternoon – the machine that is used to stain the film before it is analysed is turned off.
Talking about blood films out of hours, Mr McLauchlan said: "They are prepared ready for staining the next morning, that's what happens every night when we are on call – unless a member of staff phones to say, 'can you look at a blood film for ABC', that would be done."
The witness said Kathryn's blood results, including a low platelet count, would have led someone in his position to look at a blood film if it had been during normal working hours.
Procurator-fiscal depute Laura Millar asked: "Would a platelet count of 13 make you, as a competent biomedical scientist examine a blood film?" He answered: "A film would be looked at."
The court was told there were no standard operating procedures for working out of hours as there were for regular working hours.
He was asked how long it would take to examine such a film and he answered "not very long".
Mr McLauchlan told the court he telephoned the blood sample results to the ward because they were abnormal, which is the regular procedure.
Ms Millar asked: "Is it possible Mr McLauchlan that you did in fact stain and exam a blood film that night?" Mr McLauchlan who has worked at the hospital since 1977, answered: "No."
The witness said that in 2004 he did not think he would have been able to recognise acute myeloid leukaemia, the subtype of acute promyelocytic leukaemia, which Kathryn had. He was asked that in 2004 if he was aware of the subtype and said "no", but said he knew of it now.
Mr McLauchlan told the sheriff: "If I looked at the blood film that evening I could have said that looks suspicious."
The inquiry, before Sheriff Ruxton, continues.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article