THE schoolboy who died hours after being sent home from a WA hospital without being seen by a doctor was suffering from swine flu and a bacterial infection.

The Sunday Times can reveal that preliminary findings from the Office of the State Coroner concluded that Andrew Allan, 16, died from asphyxiation caused by the two illnesses.

Australian Medical Association state president David Mountain said yesterday that up to 300 patients would die unnecessarily in WA hospitals this year because of over-crowding and under-resourcing.

"We're working in hospitals that are clearly not safe because we don't have the beds and resources to deal with patients appropriately," he said.

"There are a lot of patients who are assessed in waiting rooms and delayed admission into hospital. We're at breaking point."

At Northam hospital 90km north-east of Perth, Andrew was told by a hospital nurse he had gastroenteritis and was sent home on Thursday, September 16, with junior-strength Panadol and a pamphlet on the condition.



His mother, Kylie, 44, found him dead in bed at 7am the next day.

Andrew is thought to be the sixth West Australian to have died from swine flu in the past two months.

Mrs Allan and her husband James, 46, told The Sunday Times that toxicology results showed how ill their son was when he was taken to hospital and that a doctor should have been called.

She said Andrew had no underlying health problems. "We were told by the nurse he had gastro, and he didn't have gastro," Mrs Allan said.



"He was wheezing badly the entire time, really struggling to breathe. He walked through the front door and collapsed on a couch, he was so weak.



"I said, 'Get up, we have got to get help'.



"Andrew could barely walk, had a temperature of more than 40 degrees and was sweating and vomiting when he presented at the triage.

The couple, who have two other children, Emily, 14, and Sean 12, said their son would be alive if he had been referred to a doctor by the nurse.

The WA Country Health Service said last week a doctor had been on call but not on site, but yesterday it said one had been available at an adjacent medical practice.

"We think that if Andrew had been in a hospital where he could have been helped to breathe, he would have survived," Mrs Allan said.



"We are certain this prognosis would have been picked up by a doctor, but instead were told he would be fine by a nurse."

The Health Department said the nurse has not worked at the hospital since the incident. An investigation has been launched. The nurse and other staff have been offered counselling.



After The Sunday Times report last week, several other hospital deaths were exposed. In August newborn baby Lachlan Hughes was found dead less than 24 hours after being seen at Northam Hospital.

Six-year-old Sebastian Parman died on September 17 from scarlet fever after being sent home twice from Geraldton Regional Hospital.

The revelations come amid several health scandals, including the state's ambulance service reaching breaking point because of a lack of resources.

A pay dispute between hospital cleaners and the WA Government is also putting pressure on the system.

Associate Prof Mountain said there had been an outbreak of viral infections across WA recently and a late winter surge in swine flu cases.