'Gross failure' in death of teen, rules coroner

An inquest has ruled there were gross failings by hospital staff in the days leading up to the death of a teenager from Derbyshire.

18-year-old Daniel Elton died from a heart infection in November 2015 after visiting the dentist several months earlier.

Doctors failed to pick up the condition, and discharged him from Queen's Hospital in Burton.

He died the next day.

The problem began in April 2015 after Daniel visited the dentist to have a tooth removed.

He started suffering from stomach pain and lost a lot of weight.

Doctors thought Daniel was suffering from a gastrointestinal problem, and failed to pick up that he in fact had endocarditis - an infection of the inner lining of the heart - brought on by the dental work he had earlier in the year.

In November 2015, after a short stay in Queen's Hospital, Daniel died just a day after being discharged.

The coroner ruled a narrative verdict - and said there was a gross failure by Queen's Hospital staff to provide medical attention to Daniel in the days leading up to his death.

But the inquest heard it wasn't neglect, as he was so unwell at that point, there was nothing staff could have done to save his life.

In a statement, the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust said:

Daniel's family now want to make dentists and doctors more aware of endocarditis - to ensure another life isn't lost.