Maddy Lawrence inquest finds that hospital death was contributed to by neglect.
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An inquest has concluded that Maddy Lawrence, the 20-year-old student who died from an infection at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, in 2022, was the victim of lack of care. Medical staff at the hospital failed to identify that she had developed sepsis, despite a string of warning signs.
The coroner, Dr Peter Harrowing, ruled there were “gross” failures in the treatment of her infection. “In hospital her deterioration was not recognised,” he said, “and necessary life-saving treatment was not commenced promptly.”
The family’s lawyer, Oliver Thorne, a medical negligence specialist and AvMA panelist with Slee Blackwell Solicitors commented:
“This was a desperately sad case whereby the failure to detect Maddy’s deterioration resulted in her death.”
Maddy was admitted to hospital after suffering a dislocated hip while playing rugby for her university team. The inquest was told that her life could have been saved if she had been given antibiotics earlier.
There is a system in place for monitoring sepsis and similar infections, known as NEWS (National Early Warning Score). However, hospital staff failed take the necessary action and at one point omitted to record data about Maddy’s condition for a crucial 16-hour period.
The North Bristol NHS Trust apologised to Maddy’s family for the omissions in her care, pledging to, “reflect carefully on the findings of the coroner.” This will include enhanced training on a scoring system that indicates signs of sepsis and other serious infections, and the introduction of additional critical rapid response teams.
Maddy’s mother, Karen Lawrence, told the media that she had struggled to come to terms with how, “a healthy, strong and fit 20-year-old could lose her life to sepsis which was allowed to develop under the care of professionals.”
“As well as failing to fulfil their duty, those nurses and medical staff offered no sympathy, no compassion and little attention,” she said.
“Maddy did not die due to under-staffing or a lack of money. Her death was the result of a lack of care.”
