A STUDENT nurse died of sepsis after being left waiting in an A&E for almost 12 hours, just days after completing a weekend of long shifts at NHS hospitals, an inquest heard.
Zoe Bell, 28, worked extra shifts at hospitals in Buckinghamshire to help fund the latest phase of the study, the coroner was told.
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Zoe Bell, 28, died of sepsis after waiting in the emergency room for almost 12 hours
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The student nurse worked extra shifts at hospitals in Buckinghamshire
The dedicated student, who finished her last 12-hour shift on Sunday, December 18, 2022, began suffering from a sore throat and struggled to get her words out.
Her boyfriend, Phillip Ayres, told the inquest into her death that it was “not unusual for her to be run over after a weekend of long shifts”.
But her condition continued to deteriorate and she was rushed to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, one of the hospitals where she worked, on 23 December 2022.
Mr Ayres said they arrived shortly after 10pm and said she started suffering severe chest pains about an hour and a half later.
Nurses examined Ms Bell while she was in hospital but said her oxygen levels were normal and tried to test for tonsillitis.
“It looked like there was nothing to worry about,” Mr Ayres told Beaconsfield Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.
The inquest heard how the A&E was particularly busy at the time due to a lot of flu, Covid and children coming in with Strep-B.
By 4.30am Ms Bell and Mr Ayres were still in the waiting room, but she developed “agonizing” pain in her chest, back and shoulders, he said.
“Zoe coughed up a small amount of blood in her sick pelvis,” Mr Ayres said.
“The nurse ran all the same tests again. The nurse was convinced the blood was caused by Zoe’s constant coughing.”
I had the same procedure as the tragic BBL mom, I was moments from death and living in constant pain, they must be banned NOW
He added: “Because Zoe was a nurse and realized the staff were overworked, I felt I had to be polite.
“It was like being caught between a rock and a hard place. I didn’t want to upset Zoe.”
Eventually – around 4 or 5am – Mr Ayres said he “made a bit of a fuss” and made sure a nurse saw Ms Bell was examined by a doctor.
But the doctor suspected that he had laryngitis, according to the investigation.
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Zoe began to suffer from a sore throat and struggled to get her words out
Her condition continued to deteriorate and she was rushed to Stoke Mandeville HospitalCredit: INS News Group
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The symptoms of sepsis can vary and are difficult to spot
The pair were sent back to the waiting room, where “Zoe was panicked because she was coughing up blood” and began to hyperventilate, Mr Ayres said.
He said: “By this point Zoe had had enough. She got to the point where she wanted to go home.
“She was exhausted. She felt like there was no help.”
Finally, at 10 a.m. on Christmas Eve, Ms. Bell was taken to the emergency room where patients are checked in for the ward.
Mrs Bell became agitated, confused and disoriented and an emergency alarm was activated.
Mr Bell said she momentarily “became a bit perky”.
He said: “There was a sense of relief that she was finally seen and treated.
“She was so relieved to finally get help, she was so thankful and grateful.”
But her condition continued to deteriorate and her father, Nick Bell, arrived at the hospital just in time to see her rushed to intensive care at 12.30pm, the inquest heard.
It seems that the very thing she worked so hard for has failed her.
Phillip Ayres Boy
She died the same evening from heart failure.
A post mortem concluded that Mrs Bell, from High Wycombe, died of staph septicaemia, bronchopneumonia, acute lung injury caused by influenza and a viral infection.
Mr Ayres told Buckinghamshire Coroner Crispin Butler that Mrs Bell always understood the problems and strains of the NHS and dreamed of improving it so everyone could get the care they needed.
“It seems that the very thing she worked so hard for has failed her,” he added.
“Her death is a loss to the NHS because of her kindness, compassion and sheer determination.”
The investigation continues.
The Sun has approached Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust for comment.
Sepsis – the facts
- Every year, there are 47 to 50 million cases of sepsis worldwide
- At least 11 million people die each year from sepsis
- One in five deaths in the world is related to sepsis
- As many as 40 percent of cases are among children under the age of five
- Sepsis is the number one cause of death in hospitals
- It is also the most common reason for hospitalization
- Up to 50 percent of all sepsis survivors suffer from long-term physical or psychological consequences
Source: Stop Sepsis Save Lives
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