A woman from Swindon, Wiltshire, was allegedly told by an NHS 111 operator to take paracetamol for her worsening symptoms. Hours later, she was rushed to hospital and placed on life support after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.
A Bad Cold That Worsened
Nicky Hillier, 50, an HR professional, first felt unwell in early March 2026. Believing it was just a bad cold, she cancelled her overnight plans and called in sick to work the next day. However, five days later, her condition deteriorated dramatically. She experienced soaking night sweats, forcing her to change her pyjamas every two hours. She also suffered from a pounding headache, vomiting, and extreme fatigue. Unable to secure a GP appointment, she contacted NHS 111 on 18 March.
‘Take Paracetamol’, They Said
According to Nicky’s sister, Amanda Hall, the 111 operator advised Nicky to take paracetamol to relieve her symptoms. Just hours later, Nicky was found unconscious and barely breathing by her neighbour and ex-husband. Amanda Hall recounted the devastating sequence of events: “She had rung 111 and said, ‘I can’t get a doctor’s appointment, I’m feeling really poorly, I’ve had a temperature for five days and I’m sweating so much that I’m having to change my pyjamas every couple of hours’. They basically told her to go and get some paracetamol, and she said, ‘I can’t even get out of bed’, and that is the last anybody had heard from her overnight. Her neighbour was driving past at around 7 am and noticed that my sister’s curtains were drawn, and that isn’t like her; she’s up early with the dog.”
Nicky’s boss, concerned about her absence, contacted HR for her next-of-kin details, which led to her ex-husband. He climbed over the back gate, entered the house, and found Nicky collapsed in a very poor state.
The Diagnosis
Nicky was rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed she had bacterial meningitis. “We were told to prepare ourselves, that she was gravely, gravely ill and if she made the night, it would be a miracle,” Amanda Hall said. Doctors believe she had a severe case of bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, which had travelled from her spinal cord to her brain.
She was brought out of a two-day coma on 21 March, but the infection left her deaf and with Bell’s palsy, a neurological disorder causing temporary weakness or paralysis on one side of the face. “She said to her nurse within a day or two that she couldn’t hear and something was wrong with her ears. She could speak a few words, not a coherent sentence, but enough to know that she was there. Her mobility isn’t particularly good at the moment; she’s having to use a frame. She can’t walk unaided,” Amanda Hall added.
Calls for Accountability
Amanda Hall criticised the NHS 111 response, stating: “It’s just been awful for everybody; it’s just been absolutely shocking. If you have been as ill as my sister was for that many days and you’ve reached out to 111 and they tell you to go and get some paracetamol, I would absolutely throw that advice in the bin. She should have been seen.”
A spokesperson for Practice Plus Group, which operates NHS 111, said: “We are sorry to hear of this patient’s illness and encourage her family to raise their concerns with us directly, so that we can review the NHS 111 call in line with our strict quality governance procedures.”
Meanwhile, Nicky’s friends and family have set up a GoFundMe to support her recovery.
