Tragic Death of Young Footballer After Medical Misdiagnosis
A young amateur footballer died from a rare flesh-eating virus after healthcare professionals repeatedly dismissed his worsening symptoms as tonsillitis and sciatica, a coroner's inquest has been told. Luke Abrahams, a 20-year-old railway engineer from East Hunsbury in Northampton, passed away at Northampton General Hospital on January 23, 2023, from complications of sepsis and necrotising fasciitis.
Catalogue of Missed Opportunities
The inquest heard how Mr Abrahams had initially visited his GP complaining of a sore throat in the days before his death, where he was prescribed antibiotics for suspected tonsillitis. When his condition deteriorated significantly, leaving him immobile with severe leg pain, he contacted an NHS out-of-hours service just three days before his death. During a video consultation, he was misdiagnosed with sciatica and prescribed stronger pain relief instead of being referred for urgent hospital assessment.
His family dialled 999 twelve hours later as his pain became unbearable, but ambulance crews decided against hospital transfer despite multiple concerning clinical indicators. Two days later, the young man was finally rushed to hospital declaring he "could not take the pain any longer" - he died the following day.
Post-Mortem Findings and Parental Campaign
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Abrahams had been suffering from three serious conditions: septicaemia, Lemierre syndrome (a severe bacterial infection), and necrotising fasciitis - the rare flesh-eating bacterial infection that rapidly destroys soft tissue. His death was initially recorded as natural causes without an inquest being opened.
Parents Richard Abrahams, 60, and Julie Needham, 49, campaigned for a formal investigation, believing a "catalogue of errors" contributed to their son's preventable death. They maintain that multiple healthcare contacts in his final week - including GPs, A&E, NHS 111, and paramedics - presented missed opportunities for intervention.
Ambulance Service Admissions
On the inquest's first day, Susan Jevons, Head of Patient Safety at East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), admitted Mr Abrahams should have been transported to hospital days before his death. "Luke should have been transferred to hospital on the 20th and he should not have been discharged at home," she stated in evidence.
Ms Jevons revealed paramedics had focused exclusively on sciatica while failing to properly consider infection, despite multiple red flags including:
- A pain score of 9 out of 10 (placing him in the red category for hospital transfer)
- Significantly elevated blood sugar levels (16, with 17 triggering automatic A&E referral)
- High temperature and raised heart rate
- Dark-coloured urine and inability to mobilise
"The blood sugar stood out the most for me," Ms Jevons told the hearing. "There was no reason his blood sugar levels should have been that high." She emphasised that low warning scores alone shouldn't determine patient assessment, adding: "You should look at your patient - what is your patient telling you?"
Out-of-Hours GP Testimony
Dr Olalowo Olaitan, the out-of-hours GP who conducted the video consultation, testified via Zoom from Canada that he noticed no visible red flag symptoms during the assessment. Working for DHU Healthcare on behalf of NHS 111, he said the video call was necessary as Mr Abrahams was in too much pain to attend in person.
"There was just pain in the back, buttock and leg," Dr Olaitan stated, explaining he observed no redness, rash, or skin discolouration suggesting serious infection. When questioned why he didn't explore the throat infection further, he responded: "Based on the fact Luke said it was getting better and he was on antibiotics, I didn't explore that further."
The doctor admitted he was unaware of Mr Abrahams' multiple NHS 111 contacts earlier that week or his hospital attendance, and acknowledged: "Ideally, I always want to see my patients face to face."
Systemic Changes and Ongoing Inquest
The case has prompted additional training within EMAS, including refresher sessions on sepsis, Lemierre's syndrome, and necrotising fasciitis recognition. Assistant coroner Sophie Lomas is presiding over the three-day inquest at The Guildhall in Northampton, which continues to examine the circumstances surrounding this tragic young death.
This case highlights critical issues in remote healthcare assessment, infection recognition, and emergency response protocols that failed a young man with rapidly progressing, life-threatening conditions.
