A coroner has ruled that failings in the care a young woman named Libby received at a hospital contributed to her death. According to Sky News, Libby was fit and healthy when she suddenly began suffering pain and bouts of sickness, and despite being admitted to the same hospital three times in just over 24 hours, she was not properly examined or cared for before she died.
According to Sky News, Libby's symptoms first emerged suddenly after a birthday trip to London with Theo, who was close to her. What began as pain and sickness escalated rapidly, yet the seriousness of her condition was not recognised during her repeated visits to the hospital over the course of little more than a single day.
A central failing identified at the inquest concerned her diagnosis. According to Sky News, Libby was told she had gastroenteritis, but that was wrong. She had in fact suffered an infarction of the small intestine, a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply becomes blocked and which required urgent recognition and treatment.
According to Sky News, as Libby's symptoms worsened, efforts were not taken to re-examine her. Staff continued to work from the original gastroenteritis diagnosis, which one account described as incompatible with the symptoms she was presenting with. It was noted that people do not return to hospital and wait for hours on end unless they are genuinely concerned.
The inquest also heard a particularly distressing detail about her final hours. According to Sky News, shortly before she died, Libby's family had to wait to visit her in hospital because staff were watching the Women's World Cup. She was ultimately discharged, collapsed at home, and died less than a week after she had first been taken ill.
According to Sky News, hospital staff initially said they would not have done anything differently. However, the NHS Trust that runs the hospital has since apologised and accepted the findings of the inquest. In a statement, a spokesperson said a thorough review had identified shortcomings in the care provided to Libby and her family, adding that the trust was committed to learning from the case and had implemented measures to strengthen its processes and reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.
According to Sky News, the coroner's findings represent a form of validation for Theo, who had long believed that Libby was neglected in the last days of her life. Yet, as the report noted, the findings cannot bring her back, nor do they directly hold accountable those who failed in their duty of care. Reflecting on her, Theo said that thinking of Libby still makes him smile, recalling the brilliant time they had shared. The report was filed by Sky News correspondent Barnaby Papadopoulos in Hartlepool.