FAILURES by NHS 111 contributed to the death of an autistic teenager, a coroner has ruled.

Hannah Royle suffered a cardiac arrest as she was driven to hospital after a 111 algorithm failed to notice she was seriously ill.

A coroner said the 16-year-old’s death had exposed a risk people were being misled about the capability of the system and its staff members, according to the BBC.

An NHS spokesman said it would act on the findings and learnings "where necessary".

Hannah’s father Jeff Royle, from Horsham, said he regrets dialling 111 and wished he had taken his daughter directly to hospital.

"I feel so dreadful, that I have let her down and she has been let down by the NHS," he said.

On June 20 last year, Hannah became unwell with vomiting and diarrhoea.

Jeff and Hannah’s mother Anne called 111, but were not advised to go to hospital.

Three hours later, Hannah’s condition worsened significantly and her parents again phoned 111.

The NHS phone handler took advice from a clinical adviser who opted not to call an ambulance. Instead, they insisted the parents make their own way to hospital with their daughter.

Hannah went into cardiac arrest on the way to East Surrey Hospital. Despite Anne's CPR efforts, it was too late to save Hannah by the time the family arrived at the hospital.

The Argus: Hannah Royle suffered a cardiac arrest as she was driven to hospital after a 111 algorithm failed to notice she was seriously ill Hannah Royle suffered a cardiac arrest as she was driven to hospital after a 111 algorithm failed to notice she was seriously ill

Jeff said: “I have been in agony knowing that she could have been saved.

“I live it 24 hours a day. It literally is every waking moment."

It was later established that Hannah had suffered a gastric volvulus, a rare condition caused by an abnormal rotation of the stomach of more than 180 degrees.

Coroner Karen Henderson ruled Hannah died of natural causes, contributed to by neglect.

She said NHS 111 failed to properly triage Hannah's case, leading to an "avoidable delay".

The coroner warned there was a "real risk" that people who phone 111 looking for medical help are being “misled over the role and capability of the 111 service".

Call handlers had been renamed health advisers, which "implies professionalism which is untrue given their underlying skills and unsubstantiated given it is their role to complete an algorithm," she added.

An NHS spokesman said: "The NHS expresses its condolences to the family and friends of Hannah and is in the process of answering the coroner's report and will respond within the timeframe set by the coroner.

"We will now take away the findings and learnings and where necessary act on them with local or national services."