[warning: death, heartbreaking story] This is appalling. How could it have happened?

[TraumaQuestions]

A dying woman called 999 and asked for an ambulance, giving her address. No ambulance was dispatched. Nobody checked up on her. Her profoundly disabled daughter, who depended on her totally, also died. Nobody noticed for weeks or months.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2z36yzzdlo

Having to rely on emas is terrifying.
My mum was having a stroke last year and I rang 999 and was told to take her to a&e in the car because ambulance would be 8 hours.
For a cat 1 call.
I can totally believe this happened.
Poor women :(

Yep

As a disabled person, the idea of what happened here is really frightening and sickening, I know a lot of people are saying this, but it hits different when you yourself are vulnerable.

May they rest in peace

The GP or the hospital should have checked on them. Or sent the police?

oh dear god. what did I just read? RIP lovely women. That phone operator has blood on her hands, maybe could not have saved the mother, but probably could have saved the daughter. so horrible

Pretty difficult to disagree with this :(

I feel so sad for these poor women.

These two had zero neighbours friends family even professionals to miss them is most heartbreaking easy to blame 999 operator but what about society and people who knew these two and said nothing untill the TV cameras turned up offering cash for stories

Failings occurred long before the 999 call.

‘The inquest was told that Ms Leuga was admitted to hospital for a blood transfusion in late January last year as she was critically ill with very low iron levels and was given a “pragmatic” discharge linked to her daughter’s care needs.’

Who looked after the daughter whilst her mother was in hospital? Alphonsine herself should have ensured that in the event of her being unwell again of which there was a high chance that procedures were in place to make sure her daughter was attended to and cared for.

I would have thought when she was discharged that the hospital spoke to her about her responsibilities towards her daughter and social services or other agencies involved to help Alphonsine put a plan of action in place should she fall ill again.

It seems like she was discharged and left to fend for herself and didn’t know or understand who she could ask to step in and help again.

The police said there was no crime and the ambulance service said they were sorry their service fell short on this occasion.

So that's ok then. Two women died, probably horribly in one case, despite specifically asking the very service that is there to help, to help them. No follow ups.
And no-one will face any real consequences. Shocking.

Sadly I think that is probably very accurate.

This story is horrific. I cannot understand how there was not any agency to help them.

If Loraine was 18 then surely she would have been in education so why were the school not conducting a welfare check?
Why did the hospital not follow up the non attendance of the appointments? Or at least refer it to the GP?
Surely there should have been some MASH involvement after Alphonsine effectively discharged herself?

So many missed opportunities.

You have to wonder don't you? 😠😠😠☹️☹️☹️

This is utterly appalling. Those poor women and not one person checking up on them.

Agreed. Those poor, poor women.

Absolutely heartbreaking

So, so shocking. They were let down at every turn. And yes, I suspect racism played a big part.

This is what happens with a fragmented NHS. There is no joining up of pieces of information and it leaves each individual involved able to pass the buck to someone else. I blame the GP as much as the call handler, saying they were 'unable to contact her' when advised by the hospital that she missed hospital appointments is not acceptable given the circumstances - what did they think had happened to a sick woman with responsibility for a disabled child? Primary care in this country is appalling since Covid, any excuse not to actually see a patient.

I read this earlier, it’s bloody awful. RIP Alphonsine and Loraine 💔

That poor woman obviously had no respite either? No carers to raise the alarm or respite centre/school to find out where Loraine was.

At 18, they would have been going through transition to adult services so the easiest time to fall through the cracks, or maybe SS were pushing for residential care - we’ll never know.

What is clear though, is a young woman and her mum have been failed by the system and both had a horrible death.

RIP ladies.

Awful, awful story.
When the call handler couldn't get hold of her again why did they not think that she might be unconscious and unable to answer? It's just terrifying honestly.

You’re right. As a white woman, living in a nice house in a nice town in the Home Counties, I know down to my bones that you are right.

Another black woman not treated seriously by medical providers in this country with the most awful consequences.

Shameful, utterly shameful. Shame on all of us in a society that this happens. A desperate mother who discharges herself from hospital because she needs to be there for her dd. No safety net for either of them. No police welfare check was sought. The follow up call from the GP. Awful.

Such a pitiful excuse. They should be ashamed of themselves.

There were so many failures. The judgment of the call handler was bizarre. But when the hospital and GP couldn’t contact her you’d think one or other would contact police for a welfare check in the circumstances.

Heartbreaking

If the daughter died after her mum which is likely, she must have been so frightend. I can't begin to imagine. 💔

I can’t read the whole article, who made the decision to close the call - the call handler, or a manager?

I am truly saddened by this story but sadly, working in social care I am not surprised.

Services are on their knees, the safety net that everyone assumes is there just isn’t anymore. Social services and the NHS are completely broken, they work from different systems, the multi agency work that should be happening isn’t. Services have been cut to the absolute bone and this is the result.

Her daughter may have been known to social care, but it would most likely have been on a voluntary basis - possibly section 17 due to disability, and if she was transitioning to adult services due to her age it is possible she slipped through the cracks.

Our services are not working and there is no longer a sense of community in many areas.

It’s just utterly senseless and so very sad.

So saying what isn’t being said. The daughter starved to death after the mum died.
She had no food in her stomach and her bladder was empty, she must’ve suffered deeply for days.

Saying sorry is not enough, this is neglect which has led to manslaugher.

Someone needs to be charged.