In a heart-wrenching court session, Dr. Antony Higginson wept as he recounted the harrowing final days of his wife, Laura Higginson, who tragically died on April 19, 2017, at Whiston Hospital, Prescot, Merseyside. Laura, just 30 years old, had a rare genetic disorder that left her significantly underweight and reliant on precise medical care.

The inquest revealed that Laura had been administered an excessive amount of paracetamol—an error that went unnoticed until months after her death. Dr. Higginson discovered the details in his wife's post-mortem report, which he received from his GP. Shockingly, the hospital had previously acknowledged that Laura's overdose was due to their miscalculation.

Before her untimely death, Laura had been hospitalized for what was initially believed to be routine monitoring after visiting the emergency department. Her husband recalled that she had walked into the hospital on April 5, 2017, as part of regular treatment for her ongoing health problems linked to Gitelman Syndrome, a condition she had been diagnosed with in 2010.

Despite repeated visits to A&E for kidney and liver complications, this visit would lead to devastating consequences. Dr. Higginson expressed regret over convincing her to stay, believing she was in safe hands. Just days later, his wife called him in distress, reporting severe symptoms including a distended stomach, yellowing skin, and blood in her vomit.

When Dr. Higginson arrived at the hospital, he encountered chaos at the nurses' station, as medical staff seemed overwhelmed and panicked. Laura was swiftly moved to intensive care, where her condition only worsened. Family members were informed of a suspected sepsis diagnosis, and Laura experienced hallucinations, prompting her doctors to induce a coma in a desperate attempt to stabilize her.

The emotional toll of this tragedy became even more apparent when Dr. Higginson relayed the moment he received the devastating news of his wife’s passing. The sound of his mother-in-law’s cry still haunts him as she broke down and shared that Laura had succumbed to her condition.

Months following the heartbreaking loss, Dr. Higginson faced his own struggles with the grief, leading him to seek counseling and antidepressants. It was during one of these medical appointments that he received a copy of the post-mortem report and learned of the staggering overdose for the first time.

The investigation into Laura's death highlighted serious flaws in the hospital's procedures at the time. In 2017, patients were not weighed in the emergency department, which contributed to the incorrect dosage being administrated. A junior pharmacist discovered the oversight on April 7, 2017, after Laura had already received multiple doses.

In response to Laura Higginson's case, hospital authorities insisted that they applied an antidote upon realizing the error and claimed the overdose did not contribute to her death, a statement that has raised eyebrows and disbelief among the family members involved.

After poignant testimonies in court about the abrupt changes in Laura's health, the inquest continues as the family seeks accountability and answers for this tragic medical oversight. Advocates for better hospital protocols hope that this case will lead to improved patient safety and prevent such disasters from happening in the future.

Stay tuned for further developments surrounding this tragic incident and the ongoing inquest into the events that led to the untimely loss of Laura Higginson.