A coroner has ruled that a woman died in hospital after a “catastrophic brain injury,” as a result of “neglect,” which contributed to her death.
Juliet Marlow, who was 48, died following an operation in July 2018 at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital – after staff failed to notice she was going into diabetic shock. Her blood sugar was not monitored and she was given insulin but no sugar.
The ruling by the Hampshire coroner, Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp, concluded that there were serious errors in Juliet’s care. Her family wanted to ensure a thorough investigation. This was only possible with specialist representation and they instructed Hugh James to act for them.
Speaking of this week’s ruling, Hugh James Solicitor, Lynda Reynolds, who represented the family alongside Barrister, Edward Ramsay, said:
“The Coroner’s finding that Juliet’s death was contributed to by neglect is a serious one and reserved for gross failures. This decision is significant for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the family are pleased to see some measure of justice in what can only be described as been harrowing circumstances for them.”
During her life, Juliet was steadfast member and spokesperson of the disability rights group Not Dead Yet UK, which campaigns against assisted suicide. The group described Mrs Marlow as a “lynchpin” of the organisation and her passion for equal representation was included at her inquest.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Juliet’s mother, Yvonne Boyd, responded to the verdict and said:
“Juliet suffered throughout her life but, despite that, she led a happy and active life. We believe she was able to make a difference in the disability world, particularly with her involvement with the Not Dead Yet campaign. Nothing will bring her back but we are pleased with the coroner’s ruling. We are also comforted by that fact that the NHS trust has made significant changes since her death so that this tragedy isn’t repeated.”
