Scarlet fever: Mother's terror after late-night antibiotic search

The mother of a baby who had scarlet fever says she was left terrified after being sent on a fruitless late-night antibiotics hunt.

Beth Foreman attended Lincoln County Hospital with baby Clio on Friday and left with a penicillin prescription.

She was told it was "imperative" her 11-month-old daughter took it that night, but all nearby pharmacies told her they did not have any in stock.

The government said there was "no supplier shortage" of antibiotics.

Ms Foreman said she called NHS 111 after her daughter became "poorly and lethargic" with a bright red rash on her face.

"You could have literally fried eggs on her cheeks, she was irritable, crying and she'd waited for five to six hours in the hospital until she'd been seen."

Ms Foreman said they left hospital at 23:45 GMT on Friday "having been told they didn't have penicillin".

"Off I went in minus two degrees with my 11-month-old baby on my own, with my partner working away, in search of penicillin somewhere in Lincoln."

She said all overnight pharmacies told her they did not have any supplies, with parents, family and friends all encountering the same problem while attempting to help.

"It was very scary, I spent the whole night very concerned about my daughter and literally searching for what appeared to be a non-existent medication that was very important to her health."

She said she was advised by the overnight pharmacies to return to the hospital for further advice.

"After some persuasion and a lengthy discussion at the hospital they did manage to find us the penicillin from an inpatient ward, and claimed it was the last bottle in the building," she said.

Clio's father Dean Wain, a lorry driver who was working at the time, said: "I was worried and upset, I'd been told my daughter's in hospital and my girlfriend was out trying to source medication.

"How can a hospital say you need a medication, and not be able to give it you - where do you go hunting for it at midnight, with a screaming baby?"

Ms Foreman added: "It's the thought that your child might potentially need this to stop what is initially a minor illness from developing into something very serious, it's terrifying."

The Department of Health and Social Care said there was "no supplier shortage of antibiotics available to treat strep A".

A spokesperson said: "We sometimes have surges for products and increased demand means some pharmacies are having difficulties obtaining certain antibiotics.

"We rely on competition to drive down the prices of generic medicines which generally results in lower prices for the NHS - this means prices can fluctuate, but no company should use this as an opportunity to exploit the NHS.

"Where companies are found to be abusing their dominant position by charging excessive and unfair prices, the Competition and Markets Authority can take action against businesses and individuals engaged in anti-competitive conduct."