An inquest into the death of a five-month-old girl has concluded that medical failures contributed to her death from bacterial meningitis. Esta High was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary’s children’s assessment and treatment unit with a high temperature and vomiting. She tested positive for coronavirus, which led medical staff to focus on a Covid diagnosis rather than investigating other potential causes of her symptoms.
The girl’s parents reported that they repeatedly raised concerns about their daughter’s condition, including a rash, arm tremors that suggested a possible seizure, and persistent vomiting, but said their worries were dismissed by hospital staff. They declined medical advice to take their daughter home due to the severity of her symptoms and expressed frustration that they were placed in an isolated room, which they felt prioritized infection control over addressing their clinical concerns. The parents described the period in the children’s unit as fraught with missed diagnostic opportunities.
By late afternoon on 2 November, Esta became unresponsive, and medical scans subsequently revealed meningoencephalitis caused by streptococcus pneumoniae. She was transferred to intensive care, but after 55 hours without appropriate treatment, her condition had deteriorated beyond recovery. She died on 6 November. An inquest jury of eleven people concluded that Esta died of natural causes contributed to by neglect, and that appropriate medical care would probably have saved or prolonged her life.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust issued a statement acknowledging serious failures in the care provided to the patient and expressing condolences to the family. The trust stated it would carefully review the coroner’s findings and recommendations with the goal of improving patient safety protocols.
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