A five-month-old girl died of meningitis after hospital staff missed opportunities to treat a bacterial infection, an inquest jury has determined, with neglect playing a role in her death. Esta High died at Leeds General Infirmary in November 2023, days after being taken to the emergency department with a high temperature and vomiting.
The jury of five women and six men concluded: "Esta died of natural causes which was contributed to by neglect. Had Esta received required care, based on the balance of probabilities, it would have probably saved or prolonged her life."
Her parents, Lynsey Carr and Leon High, had alleged that doctors failed to test for a bacterial infection and administer life-saving antibiotics. Solicitors representing Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust acknowledged during the inquest that chances to identify the bacterial infection and give antibiotics had been missed.
Missed Opportunities in Hospital
Ms Carr told the inquest at Wakefield Coroner's Court how Esta was a "happy, healthy, smiling girl" before falling ill on October 31 2023. After developing a high temperature and vomiting, she was rushed to the hospital, where she tested positive for Covid.
The family, from Leeds, was placed in a side room at the children's assessment and treatment (CAT) unit. Ms Carr said she believed staff were more focused on isolating Esta due to the Covid risk than on heeding the parents' concerns. It was not disputed that Esta's cause of death was streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis.
Ms Carr revealed that she and Mr High refused doctors' advice to take Esta home, as her temperature had risen to over 40 degrees and she could not stop vomiting. She described how her daughter developed a rash and her arm began to shake, which she feared was a seizure. Mr High filmed the arm movements, and the footage was shown to the jury.
Parents' Concerns Dismissed
Ms Carr told the jury "we were extremely worried" and "we kept asking for help", but "staff were rude and don't listen to our concerns". She described Esta's time on the CAT unit as "15 hours that were filled with missed opportunities".
By late afternoon on 2 November, Esta could not be roused. Scans and further tests revealed evidence of meningoencephalitis and streptococcus pneumoniae. She was transferred to intensive care, where medical staff fought to save her life, but Ms Carr said it was already too late. Esta passed away on 6 November.
Ms Carr told the jury: "Unfortunately, as our daughter had been left untreated for 55 hours, it was too late to save our darling girl." She described her daughter as "bright, beautiful and perfect from the first moment", adding that "when she arrived, she completed us".
Family's Plea for Change
In a statement delivered by her solicitor outside court, Ms Carr said: "During Esta's time in hospital, we were her voice. However, we felt like we weren't listened to and instead were made to feel like we were anxious and overprotective parents despite our girl's symptoms worsening."
She added: "All we can hope for is that by sharing our story we can help improve care for others. Parents know their children better than anyone, and when they say something isn't right, they need to be listened to and taken seriously."
Solicitor Joe Haley, from Irwin Mitchell, said: "While nothing will ever make up for their pain, we're pleased that we've at least been able to provide Lynsey and Leon with the answers they deserve. It's now vital that lessons are learned to help improve patient safety and prevent others from going through the terrible suffering Esta's family has endured."
Dr Elizabeth Garthwaite, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are deeply sorry that we failed Esta and her family, and offer our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Lynsey and Leon following the tragic death of their daughter." She added: "We recognise that serious failures occurred in the care provided to Esta and that these failures had devastating consequences. We take the concerns raised by the coroner extremely seriously and will carefully consider the report's findings and recommendations."
