Elliott Clifton-Thompson, instructed by Elline Demetriou of Osbornes Law, recently acted for the family in the Inquest of Libby Kate Instone, a 20-year-old aspiring barrister. Libby tragically died following a collapse in her bedroom in the early hours of 21st August 2023.

The Inquest, before Miss Claire Bailey, Senior Coroner for Teesside, heard how Libby, accompanied by her parents, had visited University Hospital of North Tees on three occasions between 18th and 20th August 2023, reporting severe stomach pain, only to be discharged each time with a diagnosis of gastroenteritis. In the evening of the 20th to early hours of 21st August 2023, Libby suffered a bowel perforation at home and died shortly thereafter.

Following submissions, the Senior Coroner agreed with the family that it was appropriate to provide a narrative conclusion, with a finding of neglect against the Trust. There were several gross failures to render basic medical care to Libby, including adequately monitoring her pain and symptoms, conducting routine imaging and communicating between staff as to her history of repeated attendance, all of which would have contradicted the repeated diagnosis of gastroenteritis. The Senior Coroner found that there was a general lack of clinical curiosity for an underlying cause of Libby’s deterioration and that had the failures not occurred, on any one of Libby’s attendances, it is overwhelmingly likely that her life would have been saved with surgery.

In response to Libby’s death and following further direction from the Senior Coroner, the Trust has updated its policies and procedures vastly, including the standard procedure for treating abdominal pain in non-pregnant patients, which it is hoped will avoid such a tragedy from occurring again.

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