Annette McKenzie will always remember how joyful her teenage daughter Britney gave the impression to be on the night of July 6 this yr.
'I maintain replaying that evening time and again and he or she appeared in such an excellent temper,' says Annette.
'She got here in from a pal's home, made me a cup of tea and we sat collectively to look at Large Brother. It was so content material and regular — with no indicators something was out of the peculiar.'
Along with her two youthful youngsters watching a video in one other bed room, Annette chatted away with Britney.
'Then she made us each one other drink, advised me about her plans for the weekend and went to mattress. I mentioned I beloved her and he or she replied cheerfully: 'Evening, Mum, love you.' '
Britney Mazzoncini (left), pictured together with her mom Annette McKenzie (proper). Britney's dad and mom have been unaware that she had acquired nervousness drugs from an area GP
That evening, Annette and her companion, Britney's father, Ray, went to mattress believing their household was protected and nicely.
They have been unaware that 16 days earlier Britney had been to a GP close to their Glasgow house complaining of panic assaults, melancholy, night-time fears and suicidal ideas.
Nor did they know the GP — on her first and solely assembly with the weak teen — had prescribed her 84 propranolol tablets to be taken thrice a day for a month.
The drug, a type of beta-blocker, slows the beating of the center. It's usually used to deal with hypertension, however can be prescribed for nervousness assaults.
As her dad and mom slept, Britney chatted on social media and apparently acquired a message that upset her deeply.
It has by no means been traced, however it's recognized she despatched a message to a pal by way of the cellular app Snapchat saying: 'I so hate unhealthy information.'
She then took an overdose.
'I had no concept there was something fallacious till I heard a thud in Britney's room and a banging on the entrance door at precisely the identical time,' says Annette, 35.
'I fumbled for my cellphone and noticed it was three.17am.
'Ray opened the entrance door and we noticed Britney's pal. She requested if Britney was OK and I mentioned: 'After all, she's in mattress asleep.' Then her pal mentioned: 'She's taken an overdose.' '
The couple bumped into Britney's room to seek out their daughter mendacity on the ground.
As her dad and mom slept, Britney (pictured) had chatted on social media and apparently acquired a message that upset her deeply. She then took an overdose
'She seemed horrible. Her abdomen was swollen and large, her eyes have been huge open and black.
Ray took her in his arms and he or she began to suit after which exhaled a deep breath — which I consider was her final,' says Annette.
'I raced into the hallway to the cellphone and dialled 999 and screamed at her pal, asking what she had taken.
'She mentioned 'Her personal drugs,' however I did not have a clue what she was speaking about. I shouted 'What do you imply, her personal drugs?' and he or she mentioned: 'The drugs the GP gave her.'
'I used to be surprised. Ray got here operating out with an empty field of tablets, so I advised the emergency operator it was propranolol.
'I believe they knew we have been in large hassle as a result of they despatched two ambulances — one for Britney and a second to take me to the hospital.
'I believe they knew she would want CPR and did not need me in the identical ambulance.
'Once we arrived on the hospital, I jumped out and noticed the paramedics have been giving her compressions as they raced her to A&E.
Annette says Britney was 'stuffed with compassion and loving. She helped anybody in misery and one boy later advised me that her help when he was bullied had saved his life'
'I used to be in whole shock. Somebody led me to a room and Ray arrived. He felt horrible as a result of he hadn't been capable of give Britney CPR whereas she was becoming.
'No father ought to ever have his daughter die in his arms. It is going to hang-out him for ever. Britney was at all times Daddy's lady.'
The household have been extremely close-knit. Ray, a automobile valeter, and Annette, a carer, had been childhood sweethearts and once they found she was pregnant at 18, they could not have been happier.
'Whereas different youngsters have been out partying, we have been so joyful making a house for our household. When Britney was born, the three of us all grew up collectively,' says Annette.
The closeness of this devoted household was sealed with the arrival of daughter Rhiannon, 14, and son Bradley, 9.
Annette says Britney was 'stuffed with compassion and loving. She helped anybody in misery and one boy later advised me that her help when he was bullied had saved his life'.
Her sister and brother adored her — she walked her little brother to highschool on daily basis.
Annette (pictured), a carer, and Ray, a automobile valeter, had been childhood sweethearts and once they found she was pregnant at 18, they could not have been happier
As they waited on the hospital, the couple prayed their darling daughter would survive, however Annette says that 'deep down, I knew she was gone.
'I believe she died the second she gave a deep breath in Ray's arms. We waited in a room on the hospital and once they advised us she was gone, I misplaced my life, too.'
Over the following few days, police launched an investigation into Britney's demise. Propranolol at extreme dose had triggered a cardiac arrest. Horrifyingly, it seems Britney had second ideas.
'The police took Britney's cellular, as a result of her demise was unexplained,' says Annette.
'They returned it seven weeks later and after I searched the historical past from the evening she died, she had Googled what the tablets would do to her physique.
'It had been a cry for assist and I can not think about her horror when it dawned on her what she had completed.'
Annette later discovered her daughter's last, determined Fb messages as she tried to alert two buddies.
At 2.12am Britney advised one she'd taken an overdose and her abdomen was 'burning'.
Britney (left), pictured with on of her buddies. At 2.12a, Britney messaged on of her buddies telling her she'd taken an overdose and her abdomen was 'burning'
When a second pal requested why she had taken an overdose, she replied: 'I do not know.'
Her pal urged her to make herself sick, however at 2.30am Britney replied she could not as a result of she was struggling to breathe.
At 2.37am, she advised her pal: 'That is them [the pills] working. I'll go now.'
After her demise, two extra empty packets of propranolol have been found by her sister.
Annette was advised by Britney's buddies she had paid the go to to the GP on June 22. Police launched an investigation and interviewed the GP.
'My daughter reached out for assist by saying she was suicidal and but the physician advised police she did not have sufficient issues to contact me,' says Annette.
'However she was involved sufficient to prescribe propranolol.
'She did not inform me nor refer my daughter for counselling. As a substitute, by giving her these tablets, she handed my daughter a loaded gun.
'If Ray and I had recognized about her suicidal emotions, we'd have sought assist and made certain we checked her within the early hours.
'We might by no means have left her with three bins of probably deadly tablets.'
The shockwaves of Britney's demise have shattered the household. Annette (pictured left) and Ray have been unable to work since
Any guardian studying this may little doubt marvel how a younger lady could be prescribed highly effective medicine with out her dad and mom being knowledgeable.
In reality, youngsters aged 16 and youthful could make their very own selections about therapy, offered a physician deems them mature sufficient.
As for informing dad and mom, it comes right down to the clinician's judgment between the fitting to confidentiality and defending the kid from hurt.
The recommendation from the Basic Medical Council (GMC) says medical doctors 'ought to clarify why it's essential to share info and ask for consent.
They'll often be joyful so that you can speak to oldsters and others concerned'.
If a baby doesn't conform to disclosure, a GP can share info in the event that they decide it's 'in the perfect pursuits of a kid who doesn't have the maturity or understanding to decide about disclosure'.
Tips resembling these mirror the Gillick competency and 'Fraser' pointers.
These have been named after Victoria Gillick, a mom who launched a authorized combat in 1983 to cease medical doctors giving confidential contraceptive recommendation to under-16s with out parental permission.
In 1985, the Home of Lords dominated it was lawful for medical doctors to place under-16s on the Capsule offered they have been 'Gillick competent'.
In his judgment, Lord Fraser set out guides which are used to evaluate a baby's competency.
Britney's siblings, Rhiannon and Bradley, adored their sister. She walked her little brother to highschool on daily basis
The impact of this judgment is seen in a research final yr by King's Faculty London, which discovered that 75,000 ladies beneath 16 are being prescribed the Capsule yearly — in lots of instances with out their dad and mom' information.
This quantities to at least one in 20 schoolgirls, with some as younger as 12.
A barrister and medical ethicist, Dr Daniel Sokol says: 'The important thing query will not be age, however whether or not the kid has the maturity or understanding to decide to reveal.
'If the physician believes it's within the curiosity of the kid for this info to be shared, GMC pointers permit the physician to breach confidentiality [and] inform the dad and mom.'
However as Annette and Ray found, a vital judgment about confidentiality was made by a GP their daughter noticed on the premise of a single go to from a baby she'd by no means handled earlier than.
They've complained to the GMC, which is investigating the GP.
Annette has additionally launched a petition with the Scottish Parliament calling for session with and consent from a guardian or guardian earlier than prescribing medicine for psychological sick well being if the affected person is beneath 18.
She insists she would not wish to deter under-18s from searching for assist from a physician and says she 'accepts there needs to be doctor-patient confidentiality on issues resembling contraception and teenage being pregnant'.
Annette says Britney (pictured) had suffered stress and low temper two years in the past from on-line bullying, however overcame this with the help of her dad and mom
'However I consider there ought to be an exception made for youngsters with psychological well being issues. It's horrifying to suppose they could possibly be handed drugs their dad and mom do not even learn about, like we have been.'
She says Britney had suffered stress and low temper two years in the past from on-line bullying, however overcame this with the help of her dad and mom.
The shockwaves of her demise have shattered the household. Annette and Ray, additionally 35, have been unable to work since.
'Britney beloved Christmas, however as a substitute of buying her presents, we're attempting to boost the ultimate £1,000 for her gravestone,' says Annette.
'Her little brother and sister are so distraught that they will not make Christmas lists.'
'Britney won't ever fall in love or have youngsters — and but the GP who prescribed these drugs so readily has the remainder of her life in entrance of her.'
Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal Faculty of GPs, advised Good Well being: 'The case is a tragic one and we should be taught classes from it, however we should be cautious of taking any motion that can discourage younger individuals from visiting their household physician.
'Prescribing is a core talent for GPs, and we are going to solely prescribe medicine after a full and frank dialogue with the affected person to see if that is in the perfect pursuits of their well being.'
For confidential help name the Samaritans on 116123 or go to an area Samaritans department, see www.samaritans.org for particulars.
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