'I was helpless as my son died - this would've saved his life'
manchestereveningnews.co.ukAs Julie Alfrey sat beside her son in his dying moments, she felt 'helpless'. She watched as his lips turned blue and his organs failed, constantly asking herself if she could have done more.
Johnny Alfrey died in 2022 after doctors at Fairfield Hospital in Bury dismissed signs his heart was failing. Last year, a coroner ruled that the 22-year-old, from Littleborough, Rochdale, would have survived if medics had spotted the heart failure and referred him to a cardiologist for treatment.
This week, the government gave the green light to plans for NHS funding to give seriously ill patients easy access to a second opinion if their condition worsens.
Known as 'Martha's rule', the plan which will be rolled out from April follows a campaign by the parents of Martha Mills, who died aged just 13 after signs of sepsis were missed by medics.
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