Chloe Longster: Doctor tells teenager's inquest she 'regrets' not checking medication

A hospital doctor on duty when a schoolgirl died of sepsis told an inquest that she "regrets" not checking what medication the teenager was on.

Chloe Longster, 13, died of sepsis at Kettering General Hospital in Northamptonshire on 29 November 2022 after being admitted the previous day with severe pain in her ribs and cold-like symptoms.

At her inquest at Northampton Coroner's Court, consultant paediatrician Dr Mya Mya Yee said they were "extremely busy" and "A&E was heaving".

Dr Yee said she "regrets" not looking at the teenager's medication list to check what treatment she had been given beforehand.

She admitted the antibiotics that Chloe, from Market Harborough, had been given by a previous doctor were not the ones she assumed she was on.

She told the inquest normally she would have looked at the medication list, but added: "I was on my own, I was so busy."

The schoolgirl had been given the antibiotics co-amoxiclav for a chest infection, and Dr Yee said had she known that was the case, she could have changed the course of antibiotics when Chloe deteriorated.

The five-day inquest is examining allegations that the hospital was responsible for a "catalogue of gross failings" which led to the teenager's death.

Acting on behalf of Chloe’s family, clinical negligence lawyer Rachel Young asked Dr Yee if she had ever read the paediatric sepsis guideline, to which she replied yes.

Dr Yee denied ever hearing early concerns about sepsis, which nurse Katie Cockram previously told the inquest she had escalated to her.

She said: “If I had known she was that unwell, I wouldn’t have left her in the Skylark ward, I would have reviewed her straight away.”

Ms Young asked Dr Yee if she agreed the sepsis pathway for treatment should have been triggered for Chloe as early as 6pm, more than 12 hours before Chloe died.

Dr Yee said yes.

Dr Yee agreed that antibiotics in accordance with sepsis guidance were not given to Chloe, and fluid resuscitation was not given in accordance with guidelines either.

Ms Young finished her questioning of Dr Yee by saying: “What I suggest to you is that if all of those steps had been taken quicker, then Chloe would have survived.”

Dr Yee replied “I cannot comment on that.”

The inquest is scheduled to continue until Friday.

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