Mum tells inquest that baby 'loved beyond words' died after 'numerous mistakes' at Leeds hospital
Esta Alina High died at Leeds General Infirmary aged just five months old
The mum of a five-month-old baby who died at a Leeds hospital has told an inquest into her death that “numerous mistakes” were made by staff.
Esta Alina High died at Leeds General Infirmary’s children’s hospital on November 6, 2023, after being diagnosed with streptococcus pneumoniae.
A jury inquest to determine the cause of Esta’s death opened at Wakefield Coroner’s Court today, before Assistant Coroner Naomi McLoughlin.
Giving evidence on the first day of the inquest, Esta’s mother Lynsey Carr told the jury that the family’s concerns were “repeatedly ignored” by staff, which they say contributed to her death.
The inquest heard that Esta was admitted to hospital on October 31, 2023, after suffering from a high temperature and vomiting.
She was diagnosed with Covid-19 and staff made attempts to discharge her under the hospital’s healthier at home service, the jury heard.
This was rejected by Miss Carr and Esta’s father Leon High.
After being moved to a private side room, the jury were told that baby Esta’s condition continued to deteriorate. She began suffering from seizures and started making a “continuous grunting noise,” but Miss Carr said they was reassured by staff that this was merely her discomfort from Covid.
She told the inquest that during a period of around 15 hours, several opportunities were missed to save Esta’s life.
She claimed that a mixture of understaffing on LGI’s children's assessment and treatment (CAT) unit and a lack of “appropriate levels of training” contributed to the death.
“Esta was our only child and loved beyond words,” she told the jury. “She was a very happy, content, beautiful baby. We were and still are so proud of her.
“This has been taken away from us and is unforgivable. Not only has this impacted our lives, but many friends and family members who adored Esta.”
Giving evidence on behalf of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Consultant Paediatrician Dr Tantry, who has worked for the Trust for 13 years, laid out for the jury how the relevant units and staffing deployments work at LGI.
While he wasn’t directly involved in Esta’s care, he explained that the healthier at home service offers a discharge for cases deemed low risk, but with a video call set-up for multiple check-ins in the immediate hours.
He also explained that any child on the CAT ward would be seen by a senior doctor every day, and that staff are trained to take parental concerns seriously as a parent “knows their child best.”
The Trust also has systems in place to deal with any staff absences, he said.
Dr Tantry offered his deepest condolences to Esta’s parents. “I’m so so sorry for what happened,” he added.
In a statement, Dr Elizabeth Garthwaite, Chief Medical Officer at the Trust, said: “We offer our deepest sympathies to Lynsey and Leon and their family for the tragic loss of Esta.
“We recognise the profound and ongoing impact of Esta's death on her family, and their need to understand what happened.
“The inquest is now underway and it is important that we respect that process. We will continue to support the Coroner's investigation and listen carefully to the evidence heard during the inquest.
“It would not be appropriate for us to comment further while those proceedings are ongoing.”