A mother of two died from a rare cyst on her brain after hospital staff repeatedly sent her home with migraine medication over three days in July 2024. Laura House, 29, had attended Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon with severe headaches, blurred vision, and vomiting.
Her husband, Chris House, stated that his wife was advised to rest in a dark room, despite exhibiting incoherent speech and appearing disoriented. On their third visit to the hospital on July 9, House had to carry his wife, who was struggling to stand and had vomited multiple times. He noted her difficulty in forming sentences and that she communicated with grunts, comparing her to a toddler.
Despite Mr. House's concerns and inquiries about blood tests or scans, medical staff diagnosed a simple migraine. Junior doctor Nilesh Singh, who assessed House on her final visit, recorded her as "conscious, oriented and not confused." Dr. Singh later told the inquest that the hospital was experiencing disruptions due to a power outage earlier that day, leading to a backlog and "chaos" in the emergency department. He admitted that under different circumstances, a CT scan would have been considered if readily available.
House had initially sought urgent care on July 7 and again on the morning of July 9. Each time, she was discharged without further investigation. After returning home, her condition worsened, and she began drifting in and out of consciousness. An ambulance was called after she became unresponsive and turned blue. She was transported to Southmead Hospital for emergency surgery but died on July 11 from global hypoxic brain injury caused by a colloid cyst.
Dr. Lisa Daniel, a senior doctor on duty during House's third visit, stated she was unaware of the prior visits. She indicated that if she had known, a CT scan would have been considered. A consultant reviewing the case noted that a CT scan might have shown evidence of raised intracranial pressure, though this remains speculative.
In response to the incident, the Trust has implemented Jess’s Law, which mandates the re-evaluation of patients who present with the same symptoms on three separate occasions. The family's legal team has requested a narrative verdict with a finding of neglect, while the hospital trust has suggested a verdict of natural causes, arguing no evidence has been presented on the potential outcomes of earlier intervention. The inquest was adjourned for a verdict to be delivered at a later date.