Libby Instone, a 20-year-old law student at Newcastle University from Billingham, Teesside, tragically passed away in August 2023 after multiple visits to North Tees Hospital Urgent Care Centre. Despite experiencing severe symptoms including days of vomiting and intense pain following a trip to London, hospital staff reportedly dismissed her condition, referring to her as a “time-waster.”
During her care, it was reported that staff were distracted by watching the Women’s World Cup Final on television. Libby sought medical assistance three times within 24 hours. Initially, she was misdiagnosed with gastroenteritis and prescribed anti-sickness medication along with saline drips. However, she was sent home on multiple occasions despite her worsening condition, including an incident where she vomited in the hospital car park.
Libby’s exhausted family repeatedly returned to the hospital as her health deteriorated. Her parents expressed concerns that hospital staff prioritised watching a penalty shoot-out over providing adequate patient care. They were reportedly told, “You won’t get any sense out of them until this has ended,” as nurses gathered around the television.
Although Libby was eventually admitted to a ward, she was discharged later that same day while still feeling severely ill. An independent medical expert later noted that Libby’s inability to open her bowels contradicted the diagnosis of gastroenteritis, a condition typically associated with diarrhoea. Several opportunities to conduct vital abdominal scans were missed, which might have led to a life-saving operation for a blocked intestine.
Shortly after returning home, Libby collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest. Paramedics rushed her back to the hospital, but she could not be saved. Her mother, Susan Instone, described how her once fit and energetic daughter spent her final days in agony and fear, feeling neglected and uncared for.
Dr Michael Stewart, chief medical officer for North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts, issued an “unreserved and sincere apology” for the lapses in Libby’s care. Teesside Coroner Clare Bailey clarified that findings of neglect imply a gross failure to provide basic medical care, but in this case, a narrative conclusion was recorded.
Originally published by UKNIP.
