A heartbroken mother wept uncontrollably in court as a coroner's inquest laid bare the series of devastating failures that led to her young son's entirely preventable death from sepsis.
Twenty-one-year-old Ethan Goode's life could have been saved had an NHS 111 call handler not dismissed his alarming symptoms as a simple viral infection, the hearing was told.
'He Was Let Down Catastrophically'
The tragedy unfolded in February 2023 when Ethan, described as a 'fit and healthy' young man, began experiencing severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and crippling pain. His concerned mother, Sharon Goode, made the fateful call to NHS 111, desperately seeking help for her deteriorating son.
Despite describing symptoms that included being unable to keep water down and extreme discomfort, the call handler, later revealed to have had inadequate training, categorised the case as non-urgent. She advised only paracetamol and fluids.
A Mother's Intuition Ignored
"I knew it was serious," Sharon told the Northampton Coroner's Court, her voice breaking with emotion. "I told them he was really poorly, but they didn't listen. I felt utterly helpless."
Just hours after the call, Ethan's condition worsened dramatically. His family rushed him to Kettering General Hospital, but it was too late. He suffered a fatal cardiac arrest triggered by septic shock.
Systemic Failures Exposed
The inquest heard shocking evidence about the call handler's competence:
- She had been working for less than six months.
- She failed to escalate the call to a clinician or nurse despite clear 'red flag' symptoms.
- Her training was found to be insufficient for identifying critical conditions like sepsis.
Coroner Anne Pember delivered a damning verdict, stating that Ethan's death was contributed to by neglect. She identified a clear causal link between the inadequate advice given by NHS 111 and the tragic outcome.
A Family's Unending Grief
Speaking outside the court, a distraught Sharon Goode said, "Ethan was my world. He had his whole life ahead of him. To know that his death was 100% preventable is a pain that will never go away. The system failed him in the worst way possible."
The case has prompted urgent questions about the training and protocols within the NHS 111 service, with the family calling for a full review to prevent other families from suffering similar, needless losses.
