A student killed by meningitis had "no chance of survival" with the hospital treatment she received, an inquest heard.

Professor George Griffin said Natalie Naylor, 20, did not receive the "optimum treatment" from doctors and nurses which may have given her a chance of surviving.

The University of Sussex student died at the St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey, in January last year from meningococcal septicaemia, a blood poisoning condition related to meningitis.

Her condition deteriorated just hours after her mother drove her to the hospital's casualty unit with a rash and flu-like symptoms.

Although suspicions of meningococcal septicaemia were raised, it was several hours before she was taken to an intensive care unit and given antibiotics, the inquest heard.

After the hearing Natalie's mother, Christine, said: "I chose to take my daughter through the doors of a hospital which gave her no chance of survival, but to hear the medical expert's opinion in black and white on her treatment has been the most comforting thing for me since she died.

"I did everything right, I was not just being a neurotic mother.

"The hospital made grave errors not just once but twice in not treating her immediately and not bothering to find out the results of her blood tests and the hearing has been very traumatic.

"All the family feel very sad and angry."

Professor Griffin, an expert in infectious diseases called to give evidence at the inquest, said it was a "serious failure" that Natalie's blood was not tested or antibiotics given to her soon after she arrived at the hospital. He also criticised the initial assessment of a triage nurse that Natalie could wait up to an hour for treatment after arriving in casualty.

Professor Griffin told the inquest at Croydon Coroners Court: "Given the treatment she received, she had no chance of survival. If the best treatment was given...there would have been a chance that Natalie would have survived, but I can't give a percentage."

However, he added that it was impossible to tell if such "optimal" treatment would have saved Natalie's life because of the deadly nature of the disease.

Natalie's parents, from Wallington, Surrey, as well as family and friends, listened to Professor Griffin intently as he gave evidence to the court.

Natalie returned to her parents' home in Surrey from her university accommodation in Brighton after feeling unwell.

There, her mother followed advice on checking for the symptoms of meningitis and called NHS Direct, which advised her to take her daughter to hospital.

When they arrived, at around 10.30pm, a triage nurse assessed her case within minutes but did not immediately call for a doctor to see Natalie.

Prof Griffin said: "Knowing that this was a 20-year-old student and knowing that she had a rash...I am surprised that the triage decision was amber - to be seen within an hour. I would have thought that nurse would find a doctor."

After about an hour, Natalie was seen by a doctor and tests were carried out but although the possibility of meningococcal septicaemia was mentioned, Prof Griffin said not enough action was taken.

Despite the suspicions, a different condition was diagnosed and Natalie was left for hours on a ward where she was not closely monitored for vital signs such as blood pressure and temperature.

Prof Griffin, of St George's Hospital in London, added it also took too long for the results of a blood test which could have aided diagnosis to become known to doctors.

It was not until 7am the next day that a doctor noticed Natalie had a high white blood cell count, indicating possible septicaemia. She was immediately given antibiotics.

However, her condition worsened quickly and she became too ill to recover. She died the following day.

The coroner, Dr Roy Palmer, said he could rule out negligence in his final decision but added he would take several days to consider the issues involved before returning a "narrative" verdict next week.