NATIONAL NEWS - Ellie-May Clark (5) was wheezy and struggling to walk when she arrived, with her mother Shanice, five minutes late for a GP appointment at the Grange Clinic in Newport, Wales on January 26, 2015, an inquest into her death heard yesterday.

But Dr Joanne Rowe (54) refused to see the youngster sending her home, without checking on her medical records, because she was late.

The record would have shown the five-year-old was prone to life-threatening asthma attacks and had previously been admitted to intensive care.

Single mother Shanice Clark (26) told the inquest she was refused a home visit after Ellie-May had arrived home from school distressed and wheezing at 3 pm on January 26.

Instead, the young mother, who also has an eight-week-old baby, was given 25 minutes to get to the surgery for an emergency appointment with Dr Rowe at 5 pm.

Giving evidence at the inquest Ms Clark said: ‘I told the receptionist I am going to be late, I have to get someone to look after my baby.

“I was five minutes late – there was someone in front of the queue and the receptionist was on the phone.

Read more on the Caxton publication, Benoni City Times.