Family's devastating unanswered questions after 20-year-old labelled 'time-waster' by A&E nurses died in mother's arms
The family of a student who died despite attending three hospital appointments in the run-up to her death and was made to feel like a ‘time-waster’ by experts have been left with unanswerable questions after she was ‘snatched away’ in the ‘most brutal way’.
Libby Instone was a 20-year-old from Billingham, Teeside, who initially fell ill with what doctors assumed was gastroenteritis in August 2023.
Despite seeking out medical advice on three separate occasions in 24 hours, medics at an urgent care centre failed to complete a scan and did not learn that she was unable to open her bowels.
According to reports, the British woman began vomiting after returning home from a trip to London with her boyfriend, Theo Corbett. She collapsed and died days later.
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An inquest into her death at Teesside Coroner’s Court found that ‘gross failures’ and ‘neglect’ had contributed to her death.
Teesside Coroner Clare Bailey, 57, said that there had been several ‘missed opportunities’ to save her life.
According to the inquest, nurses at North Tees Hospital Urgent Care Centre (UCC) did not examine Instone on her first visit but prescribed her anti-sickness drugs instead.
She was later put on a saline drip and forced to wait an excruciating nine hours in A&E before being admitted to a ward.
Following her discharge, Instone’s parents, Susan and Ian, carried her to bed. Minutes later, she collapsed in their arms and was rushed to hospital where she could not be saved.
Libby Instone’s parents’ unanswered questions
In a heartbreaking tribute from her parents and brothers, Joe and Alfie, Instone was described as ‘beautiful’ and ‘loved by everyone who knew her’.
“But she was snatched away from us in the most brutal way because of the failings of those who were supposed to care for her,” they said.
Three unanswered questions followed, with the first being: “Why did doctors fail to examine her?”
“Why didn’t they believe her when she was suffering in horrendous pain?,” the family asked.
And the third item on their list was why did medical experts suggest they could not have ‘done anything to save her’ when they ‘know she could have been saved?”
Libby Instone’s boyfriend slams lack of medical care
During the hearing, Corbett gave evidence, calling his girlfriend a ‘beautiful, funny and fiercely intelligent young woman’.
He said she would be ‘sorely missed every day by those who had the privilege of knowing her’.
“There was an enormous lack of decency, empathy and acknowledgment of Libby’s pain and illness at every attendance at hospital,” he continued.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain on Monday (8 June), Corbett added: "We were trying to raise concerns that we had and tried to press as much as we could and how worried we were about Libby's health.
“But no matter how much we pushed, no matter how much we pressed, it just felt like we couldn't get anywhere."
Libby Instone experienced ‘gross failures’ in care
During the inquiry into Instone’s death, Bailey heard how the young woman had died of an infarction of her small intestine and had experienced a cardiac arrest.
An independent medical expert who reviewed the case suggested that she had been unable to open her bowels for some days - an issue they claimed should have aroused medics’ suspicons.
Moreover, experts should have concluded that she did not have gastroenteritis, as diarrhoea is a common symptom, the court heard.
The report found that multiple chances were missed for a scan of her stomach to be done, and that an operation could have successfully treated her blocked intestine.
"In Libby’s case, the failure to consider anything other than gastroenteritis despite Libby enduring four days of vomiting and agonising abdominal pain constitutes gross failures in her care,” Bailey stated.
"There were missed opportunities to investigate the cause of her persistent abdominal pain and vomiting, and to provide life-saving treatment. Libby’s death was contributed to by neglect.”
Medics apologise for ‘missed opportunities’ in care
The inquest heard that Dr Michael Stewart, group chief medical officer for North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts, offered 'an unreserved and sincere apology for the missed opportunities in Libby’s care'.
He claimed there was a 'degree of confirmation bias' regarding the unchanging diagnosis of gastroenteritis.
The coroner accepted that procedures have improved at the trust, according to the report.
A spokesperson from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Libby Instone who was under our care.
"Our sincere condolences remain with her family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time. We accept the findings of the inquest today. We apologise to her family and continue to offer support to all involved.
"A thorough review of the circumstances surrounding this case has identified shortcomings in the care provided to Libby and her family.
"We are committed to learning from this tragic case and have implemented measures to strengthen processes to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.”
Ella Scott