Mother of schoolgirl who died of sepsis reveals what nurse told her

A heartbroken mother whose daughter died of sepsis after a series of failings from a hospital has revealed nurses told the teenager she was making her pain worse when she began panting for air.

Chloe Longster died in 'unbearable pain' less than 19 hours after being admitted to Kettering General Hospital, Northamptonshire, in 2022, following a pneumonia diagnosis.

An inquest into the girl's death determined that neglect and a series of failures by the hospital contributed to her death.

Chloe’s mother Louise Longster has today claimed that a nurse had told her daughter to 'calm down' and that she was 'making her pain worse' as she suffered from a shortness of breath and began to pant.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain, Mrs Longster also revealed that at one point her daughter turned to her and asked, 'am I going to die?'.

She told the ITV show: 'She was on the paediatric unit and she wasn't in as much pain. But when she said that I just remember thinking that she feels really rubbish. Did I think she was going to die at that point? Absolutely not.

'She was told by a nurse when she was in pain to calm down. That was when she was panting and the nurse came and sternly told her that she was making her pain worse and that she needed to breathe properly.'

Asked by presenter Richard Madeley if she felt the nurse was telling Chloe that she was 'putting on' her pain, Mrs Longster added: 'It felt like that.'

Chloe was a 'healthy' teenager who was 'full of energy' until she was admitted to a paediatric emergency department with severe pain in her lower ribs and cold-like symptoms.

The teenager, a 'cherished' IVF baby and keen dancer, had been sniffly with a cough the weekend prior to her death but had been well enough to attend a sleepover.

Chloe, who hailed from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, also had mild asthma and used inhalers but had never had an asthma attack, according to her parents.

Last week, an inquest heard that Chloe was in so much pain she was unable to walk and had to be taken into the hospital via wheelchair by her brother.

Despite the young girl's condition, Mrs Longster said she felt as though she was having to 'convince' hospital staff of how unwell her daughter was.

She told GMB: 'I think anyone could tell it wasn't right. When we were sent down for x-ray at around 3pm in the afternoon, a teenager offered her space ahead of her if she was called before. '

Mrs Longster has claimed she was not informed of a sepsis screening and said pain relief for her daughter was 'delayed' with the youngster being treated with 'contempt' in the final hours of her life.

The 40-year-old added that her daughter was never given an identification bracelet

Speaking today, she explained: 'I think what we learned at the inquest was that sepsis was being screened, but just in a haphazard way. It was terrifying.'

The now concluded inquest heard that upon her arrival to the hospital, Chloe was triaged and placed in a side room before being given oral Oramorph for her pain.

The teenager had a cannula inserted but it fell out whilst she was still in A&E, with her mother and brother later having to take her down to X-ray themselves.

Mrs Longster said last week she saw the X-ray and noticed what she thought was a mass at the bottom of Chloe's lung.

When she returned to the A&E department the mother was told Chloe had a chest infection.

A doctor prescribed antibiotics and she was given one dose before being admitted to the Skylark Ward.

When on the children's ward, Mrs Longster said she had to repeatedly ask doctors for more pain relief for her daughter.

'I remember making a comment that it feels like we are chasing her pain, not getting on top of it,' she said.

When the nurse returned to do more observations on Chloe, she realised her oxygen level had dropped, with Mrs Longster noting: 'They initially thought the machine had broken.'

Chloe was moved to a side room with Mrs Longster told this was because she had tested positive for Influenza A, the inquest heard.

A consultant was called and more people began coming into Chloe's room.

Mrs Longster said: 'I asked a nurse if she was going to be OK and the nurse said she didn't know.

'How I got out of the room I don't know, but I just remember hitting the floor and being slumped there.

'It felt like Chloe hadn't been taken seriously about how unwell she was until that point.

Mrs Longster said that she got the impression nurses believed Chloe was being 'dramatic'.

'I still think there were preconceived ideas,' she said: 'Chloe asked for her duvet to be brought in but I thought that was just going to exaggerate the diva teen thing.'

Chloe's parents, Dave and Louise Longster, have said they want to see real change in the wake of her death.

Speaking about her last exchanges with Chloe this morning, Mrs Longster said: 'It was just before they were going to incubate her and I told her that everything was going to be ok and when she comes round we will take her dad credit card and go shopping.'

Assistant coroner Sophie Lomas concluded at Northampton Coroner's Court yesterday that Chloe may have survived if she received treatment earlier.

'There were several missed opportunities to recognise Chloe's deteriorating condition,' she said.

'The trust recognised those missed opportunities, they have stated there were shortcomings in care both medically and in nursing.'

'I do accept on balance that Chloe's condition, if identified earlier, could have been managed and would have altered the outcome.

'Her death was contributed to by neglect. There were repeated missed opportunities to recognise and respond to her deteriorating condition.'