AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD girl who had a phobia of dentists died of starvation after she was failed by medical and professional experts, a scathing report has revealed.

Sophie Waller, from Cornwall, had been terrified of dentists since the age of four when one accidentally cut her tongue during treatment.

By March 2005 her milk teeth were loose and she refused to eat, sleep or drink. Over the next few months she was seen by GPs and taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, Truro, where in November that year she had her milk teeth removed.

The procedure traumatised the child and she refused to open her mouth – she had to be fed by a tube. Sophie was discharged home but died four weeks later weighing three stone due to suffering kidney failure caused by starvation and dehydration.

A serious case review found she died because of a lack of communication between all health agencies involved in her care.

Her mother Janet Waller, 34, from St Dennis, near St Austell, is a nursery teacher with two other children. She said: "All we've wanted all along is for people to listen to us. People ask me how many children I have, I say three, but technically I haven't anymore. I've got to live with this for the rest of my life. This was not our fault – it was their fault.

"I've been made to feel guilty but I don't feel guilty any more. I will fight this in every way I can."

A report released by the Local Safeguarding Children Board said Sophie's parents were referred to a child psychologist and never called back in for a medical check-up.

The report found there was a "lack of clarity" from the agencies following Sophie's discharge from hospital. It said: "No clear written plan was made on discharge and there was lack of clarity about responsibility for medical review following discharge.

"The clinical psychologist made telephone contact with the child's parents in the week after discharge but did not see her again.

"There was a lack of clarity over the open door arrangement which was intended to allow the child's parents to bring her back in the week following discharge and when they phoned for advice on the seventh day, they were referred back to the psychologist for support."

At Sophie's inquest in February last year the court heard how doctors had failed to diagnose her phobia of dentists which eventually led to her starving to death.

Cornwall Coroner Dr Emma Carlyon recorded a narrative verdict, stating the severity of the youngster's psychological condition was not realised and this "prevented her from receiving the medical support that could have prevented her death".

Dr Carlyon said: "I find that the cause of death was the result of acute renal failure due to dehydration and starvation.

"Sophie's death was influenced by an underlying, undiagnosed psychological condition. The severity of the condition was not realised, this prevented her from receiving the medical support that could have prevented her death."

Dr Carlyon sent her findings to the Local Safeguarding Children's Board. The inquest, at Truro City Hall, heard harrowing accounts of Sophie's condition before she died. She was so emaciated her spine was clearly visible through her skin and her hair was falling out.

The court was told doctors at the RCHT failed to properly organise her post-hospital care and when Mrs Waller rang to ask to return her to the ward on November 28, she was referred back to the community clinical psychologist.

Dr Arnon Bentovim, consultant child psychiatrist, told the inquest said it was an opportunity to save her that was missed.

He said: "At the point when the parents phoned the ward, and were clearly anxious enough to do so, had that anxiety been picked up then there would have been an opportunity for the death to be prevented. There was a failure to ensure her ongoing medical care was fully managed and planned."

Dr Charles Holme, consultant paediatrician, said Sophie's situation was so rare and unusual, a GP should have been contacted directly and briefed on the case when she was discharged and a care plan set up where she was weighed and checked regularly.

He said: "It would have been easy to have just picked up the phone and spoken to a GP, that was not done. This young lady presented in a very unusual way, because of that the GP should have been spoken to on discharge."

Dr Ellen Wilkinson, medical director at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, said: "We would like to apologise to the family of Sophie Waller. Everyone involved in her care was saddened by her tragic death. This was a very unusual case. There were shortcomings in the communication between the health organisation and Sophie's parents."