20-year-old died in her mother's arms after A&E nurses labeled her a 'time-waster'
The mother of a fit and healthy 20-year-old who was branded a 'time-waster' by medics has told how her daughter later died in her arms.
Law student Libby Instone made three trips to an urgent care centre in the space of just over 24 hours and was told she had gastroenteritis before being sent home - but sadly passed away just days later.
A coroner ruled that neglect contributed to her death in August 2023, while noting that there were several 'missed opportunities' to save her.
Teesside Coroner Clare Bailey found that there were 'gross failures' in the care provided to Libby after she first sought medical advice in August 2023.
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She had began vomiting and complaining of extreme pain on 16 August after returning home to Billingham, Teesside, following a trip to London with her boyfriend Theo Corbett.
As she continued to retch, her mother Susan called 111 two days later and subsequently took her daughter to North Tees Hospital Urgent Care Centre (UCC).
The 57-year-old told an inquest last week that Libby was not examined, but was prescribed anti-sickness drugs before being sent home. As her symptoms persisted, they returned to the UCC later that evening.
A doctor told the family that Libby had gastroenteritis and placed her on a saline drip, before sending her home again at 1.30am on 19 August, 2023. Susan said her daughter then vomited 'black liquid' in the car park.
Libby - who was described as being 'totally exhausted and very weak' by her mum - was taken back to the UCC that afternoon and it was decided that she should attend A&E.
The inquest heard how the 20-year-old then had to endure the waiting process again and that it ultimately took around nine hours for her to be seen. She was put on a drip and given painkillers as well as anti-sickness medication by a nurse, before being admitted to a ward that night.
According to mum Susan and dad Ian, the hospital staff were 'stood around the telly' watching a penalty shoot-out in the women’s World Cup on TV when they visited their daughter the following day.
Libby was later allowed to go home but continued to feel unwell, with her parents explaining they had to carry her back to bed.
"She said she was scared and asked if she was going to die," Susan told the inquest. "I laughed and told her not to be daft."
Mere minutes later, Libby suddenly collapsed and was rushed to hospital, but tragically could not be saved.
"A female member of staff then came up to me and told me that they had just thought that she was a time-waster," her devastated mum said. "She was a nurse. We had just lost Libby and I didn’t know what was going on."
'Libby was let down'
"My daughter's last few days of life were horrendous," Susan said. "Libby was in constant agony, she was scared. We went to hospital trusting in the people we believed would look after her but Libby was let down by doctors who were meant to take care of her. Libby was treated as an annoyance, a time-waster and was never shown any compassion."
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Libby's boyfriend Theo said he watched her 'rapidly deteriorate' and said their concerns for her health were brushed off.
"We 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," he said.
"But no matter how much we pushed, no matter how much we pressed, it just felt like we couldn't get anywhere."
Theo told the inquest of the treatment of his 'beautiful, funny and fiercely intelligent' partner: "There was an enormous lack of decency, empathy and acknowledgment of Libby's pain and illness at every attendance at hospital."
Teesside Coroner Clare Bailey heard that Libby had died as a result of an infarction of her small intestine and had experienced a cardiac arrest.
An independent medical expert found that Libby had not been able to open her bowels for some days and that should have aroused suspicion among medics that she did not have gastroenteritis, as a usual symptom was diarrhoea.
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.
Recording a narrative conclusion, Ms Bailey found that neglect contributed to Libby’s death, saying: "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.
"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," Ms Bailey said.
She said neglect findings in inquests were limited to cases where there had been gross failure to provide basic medical attention to someone in a dependent position and added that it was not for inquests for criticise 'every twist and turn' of a patient’s treatment.
Dr Michael Stewart, group chief medical officer for North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts, told the inquest he offered 'an unreserved and sincere apology for the missed opportunities in Libby’s care'. He said there was a 'degree of confirmation bias' regarding the unchanging diagnosis of gastroenteritis. The coroner accepted that procedures have improved at the trust.
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."
Olivia Burke