Family of treasured RAF nurse Sergeant Carrianne Franks feels deep sense of injustice at her late diagnosis for tuberculosis and hopes she did not die in vain

The family of an RAF nurse who died from tuberculosis have labelled her death as an injustice and are campaigning for more recognition of the symptoms within the NHS.

Medics suspected Sergeant Carrianne Franks of having various illnesses during her stay in two hospitals over several weeks, including pneumonia and coronavirus, but she was only screened for TB the day before her death.

Carrrianne persistently told medics she didn’t have the coronavirus she was being treated for during her stays in hospital and tests for covid always came back negative.

Carrrianne was finally diagnosed with TB around 24 hours before she died. She sent one final message to her mum Beverley, a teacher, saying she knew what she had, and it was TB.

Carrrianne was then induced into a coma, her parents rushed to her bedside, but she died without waking, denying them the chance to say goodbye.

Carrianne’s father Chris said had she been diagnosed earlier, a simple course of four antibiotics and she would have been on the mend.

“We were never told she was going to die, as far as we were aware she had been induced into a coma for rest because she had received immunosuppressants so the TB just flared,” he said.

“We want people to know the injustice we feel to this day. No-one else died from that TB outbreak. It is a lottery as to where you are treated and whether they pick up it is TB.

“We want the legacy left behind by our daughter, who gave her life helping other people during the covid pandemic, to be that there is a greater understanding of tuberculosis and its symptoms.

“There were many opportunities to diagnose TB and if that had happened, on the balance of probabilities, she would still be alive today and still caring for others; something she was passionate about.”

An inquest jury determined that Carrianne’s true illness was missed and treatment was too late to save her, and found the delay in diagnosis probably more than minimally contributed to her death from TB. A narrative conclusion was recorded.

The coroner will raise concerns with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency as a result.

The 30-year-old, of Tuxford, had volunteered to support the NHS over a 26 month period.

Chris said it had been shown through track and trace that a patient on the ward where she was working at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital was confirmed to have TB, patient zero, in November 2020. Carrianne did not recall receiving any documentation of a pulmonary tuberculosis case whilst working in the ward and nor did the RAF.

The inquest jury decided that on the balance of probabilities, it was likely that Carrianne contracted pulmonary tuberculosis whilst working at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

After developing symptoms on June 9, 2021 that were a sore throat and then a cough, which became progressively worse, Carrianne was admitted to Lincoln County Hospital on July 14 where she remained for 28 days.

The inquest heard that while there, she was treated for pneumonia and coronavirus, despite negative covid 19 tests, her treatment plan for covid continued.

The inquest heard at no point during her time at Lincoln was a test for pulmonary tuberculosis requested or carried out.

It heard a review by a respiratory consultant wrongly diagnosed Crytogenic Organising Pneumonia (COP) and treatment began.

This was deemed at the inquest to be a missed opportunity.

Carrianne was declared medically fit for discharge, but three days later she was admitted to Bassetlaw General Hospital and treated for a fungal infection.

A sputum sample was taken on August 26, 2021, and confirmed TB. Her condition then started to decline rapidly due to the overwhelming infection.

Her condition became very unstable and Carrianne went into cardiac arrest.

The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis, caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Chris described his daughter as clever, bright, well-liked and a team player who did a lot of charity work, including raising thousands for the RAF Benevolent Fund, who were there to support her through her illness.

“If you broke her in half, RAF would run through the middle,” he said: “She was destined for the top.

“She was an athlete, cross-country runner, swimmer – all of which makes it even sadder that she died of tuberculosis which is so easily treatable.”

She had been a part of the first medical team to staff the inaugural Nightingale Hospital at the ExCeL London convention centre and on the frontline at Heathrow Airport at the beginning of the pandemic.

Carrianne has a Commonwealth War Graves headstone as she died in service and her family are hopeful that her name will be added to the names of The Fallen at the National Arboretum next year. Monuments have been added at her base, RAF Brize Norton and the RAF Arboretum.

Carrriane was buried back in Tuxford with military honours. Her coffin was carried by pallbearers from the RAF Queen’s Colour Squadron, the same squadron that would later carry Her Majesty’s coffin at her state funeral. Members of her unit at RAF Brize Norton lined the route from the church to the town cemetery where there was a flypast from a Hercules as she was lowered into the ground.

Chris has been in contact with Newark MP Robert Jenrick throughout since his daughter’s death who has brought the matter to the attention of Secretary-of-State for Health Steve Barkley.