Girl, 5, traumatised after GP assistant wrongly prescribed vaginal pessary, report finds

Mother, who thought daughter was being examined by GP, says girl began to bleed and scream in pain after device was inserted

A five-year-old was left traumatised, bleeding and in severe pain after a physician associate wrongly prescribed her a vaginal pessary, according to a damning report by the health ombudsman.

The parliamentary and health service ombudsman said there were “multiple failures” in the care of the girl, who saw a physician associate (PA) at a GP practice in the East Midlands after complaining of itching and vaginal discharge.