NHS doctors missed opportunities to save the life of a five-month-old girl who died from meningitis, an inquest jury has found. Esta High died at Leeds General Infirmary in November 2023, days after she was taken to the emergency department with a high temperature and vomiting. Her parents, Lynsey Carr and Leon High, contended that their concerns about the severity of their daughter's illness were disregarded.

An inquest jury at Wakefield Coroner's Court concluded that Esta "died of natural causes which was contributed to by neglect." The jury also found that "had Esta received required care, based on the balance of probabilities, it would have probably saved or prolonged her life." The jury noted that opportunities were missed as doctors maintained a diagnosis of COVID-19 after Esta tested positive for coronavirus, despite the undisputed cause of death being streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis.

Lawyers for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust acknowledged during the inquest that there had been missed opportunities to diagnose the bacterial infection that causes meningitis and to administer antibiotic treatment.

Ms. Carr described Esta as a "happy, healthy, smiling girl" before she fell ill on October 31, 2023. Her parents took her to Leeds General Infirmary, where she later tested positive for COVID-19. Ms. Carr told the inquest that the family was placed in a side room on the hospital's children's assessment and treatment (CAT) unit, where she felt staff were more focused on isolating Esta due to COVID-19 risks than on addressing the parents' concerns.

She stated that she and Mr. High refused doctors' advice to take Esta home, as her temperature soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and she would not stop vomiting. Ms. Carr reported that her daughter developed a rash and her arm began shaking, which she feared was a seizure. Mr. High recorded video of Esta's arm movements, which was presented to the jury.

"We were extremely worried and kept asking for help, but staff were rude and didn't listen to our concerns," Ms. Carr told the jury, describing the 15 hours on the CAT unit as "filled with missed opportunities."

By the late afternoon of November 2, Esta could not be roused. Scans and other tests revealed evidence of meningoencephalitis and streptococcus pneumoniae. Esta was transferred to intensive care, but attempts to save her life were unsuccessful. Ms. Carr stated that by the time treatment was initiated, "unfortunately, as our daughter had been left untreated for 55 hours, it was too late to save our darling girl."

In a statement read outside the 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 that the decision to withdraw Esta's life support, made on the advice of intensive care staff, "broke us." Esta died with her parents beside her, an experience Ms. Carr described as something "no parent should ever have to go through."

"We felt so blessed that Esta was our daughter and for her to be taken away so cruelly is something we'll never get over," she said. Ms. Carr expressed hope that sharing their story could lead to improvements in care for other children, emphasizing that "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, representing the family, stated, "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, issued an apology: "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. 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. We are committed to responding openly and fully, and to taking any further action necessary to improve patient safety."