13-Year-Old Girl Dies After Hospital Neglect as Doctors Dismissed Sepsis Symptoms — Facility Fined Just $1,700
A U.K. hospital has been fined the equivalent of just $1,700 after an investigation concluded that its failures contributed to the death of a 13-year-old girl who died from sepsis and pneumonia.
Chloe Longster, from Market Harborough, England, passed away in November 2022 just one day after being admitted to the children’s ward at Kettering General Hospital. According to multiple reports, her worsening condition was repeatedly overlooked, with critical delays in treatment that experts later said could have saved her life.
Chloe’s mother, Louise Longster, told investigators that her daughter’s severe pain was dismissed by medical staff, who allegedly treated her as an overdramatic teenager rather than a critically ill patient. Antibiotics and adequate pain relief were delayed, and basic care measures were missed, including replacing an oxygen tube that had fallen out.
“During Chloe’s final hours, she was in unbearable pain and treated with contempt,” Longster said during the inquiry. At one point, Chloe reportedly begged to be put to sleep because the pain was so intense.
An inquest later determined that Chloe’s death was preventable. Assistant coroner Sophie Lomas identified “multiple missed opportunities” to recognize the teenager’s rapidly deteriorating condition, stating there was a clear causal link between those failures and her death. The coroner officially ruled that neglect contributed to Chloe’s passing.
Despite those findings, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) — the U.K. agency responsible for overseeing hospital standards — issued Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust a £1,250 fine, citing a breach of its legal “duty of candour.” The penalty related specifically to failures in communication and transparency with Chloe’s family following her death.
Louise Longster expressed devastation over the outcome, calling the fine “maddening” and saying it in no way reflected the gravity of what her family endured.
In a statement, the CQC acknowledged the tragedy but emphasized that the fine amount is the maximum permitted under current regulations and “is in no way representative of the value of Chloe’s life.”
Hospital officials have since said changes have been made, but Chloe’s family continues to speak out, hoping her story leads to meaningful reform and prevents similar tragedies in the future.