'I was told I just had a migraine - but I was actually dying from a killer disease'

Laila Simnett was taken to a walk-in clinic by her new friends at Sheffield University. She waited five hours in A&E before medics spotted she was seriously ill from meningitis

A student, who was only in her second week of universitey, nearly died after she was told she "just had a migraine".

Laila Simnett had just recovered from Freshers' flu when she started feeling tired and "weird" while at Sheffield University, on October 7. She woke up with a headache and started vomiting and her friends decided to take her to a walk in clinic.

There the 18-year-old says she was told it was "just a migraine" and given medication to ease the symptoms - but it didn't work. Her friends, Flo, 18, and Immy, 19, decided to take Laila to hospital where she was told doctors thought she had bacterial meningitis - a life-threatening infection.

Laila had to wait five hours before she was seen, but once they spotted her race, she was immediately put on antibiotics and an IV drip. Doctors said if she had been seen to just hours later she could have died.

Laila, a phycology student, from Aylsham, Norfolk, spent a week in hospital and is still regaining her strength. She said: "I came back from a lecture and I made dinner and I was feeling a bit weird - like a cold was coming. I went to sleep at 9pm and woke up at 12.30am with the worst headache and couldn't get out of bed.

"I was throwing up and really ill. Not much longer and I could have died or been seriously affected. I don't understand how I managed to survive."

Laila sent her mum, Charlotte Simnett, 42, a text to say she was the "sickest she'd ever felt". Charlotte thought her daughter was just feeling "rough and knackered from drinking" but became more concerned the next day.

Charlotte, who runs a caravan park, said: "Little did I know she was really unwell. She was vomiting loads. She said she was sick 20 times. She was shivering hot and cold."

Laila said: "I had a really stiff neck. I couldn't move it. As I was in A&E I noticed a rash on the inside of my arm." When she was eventually seen, Laila says the "colour drained from the nurse's face".

She was then treated for bacterial meningitis and septicaemia straight away and transferred to Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield. Laila spent a week in hospital before going home to Norfolk to rest for another two.

She is now back to university but is constantly tired and believes her hearing has been impacted. Laila said: "I have definitely got some long term affects from it. I'm constantly tired all the time. Everyone is going out all the time and I can't do that."

Laila didn't know what meningitis was until she got it but had her MenACWY vaccine in Year 10 to protect against the virus. She hadn't had a booster jab before going to university, which she now encourages others to get.

Laila said: "I'm so paranoid all the time - I don't want it to happen to other people."

Dr Jennifer Hill, Medical Director, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our teams work hard to treat people as quickly as possible, and so it is really important that we look into the complaint Ms Simnett has made to understand what happened and why during her time in A&E.

"Once we have established these facts, we will provide a full explanation and answer any remaining questions Ms Simnett may have. We will also look to see what learning and changes may be appropriate based on the findings from the review.”