Hospital failings led to woman's death, coroner says

Gross failings at a hospital led to a woman's preventable death from sickle cell anaemia, a coroner has said.

Irene Dzifa King Arthur, 47, from Church Crookham, near Fleet, Hampshire, died in August 2024 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.

Her husband, Dominic Kwamena King Arthur, described her as an "expert patient" who "understood her condition" and "yet throughout her admission, she was not listened to".

At the inquest into her death at Woking Coroner's Court, assistant coroner Dr Karen Henderson said there had been a "significant lapse in care", staff showed "no clinical curiosity", and that there had been "gross failings". The hospital said it had taken steps to improve.

The inquest heard that Irene's death could have been prevented had she received an urgent blood transfusion.

Her husband said: "She repeatedly asked for pain relief, but this was not given to her.

"She felt dismissed, unheard and marginalised at a time when she was at her most vulnerable.

"No one should feel that way when seeking care."

He said the inquest uncovered "numerous missed opportunities to investigate the cause of her deterioration".

"These failings are unacceptable," he said. "We are deeply disappointed by the lack of recognition, understanding and awareness of sickle cell disease within the trust.

"This is something that has wider implications for the sickle cell community, who too often feel overlooked and marginalised within the healthcare system."

During the four days Irene spent at the hospital, her haemoglobin levels fell to half their normal levels.

Her sickle cell anaemia was considered to be generally well managed in life, the court was told.

Born in Ghana, she worked as a government adviser in aviation security.

In his statement, her husband Dominic said she "served the public and represented the UK admirably at internationally multilateral aviation security events".

"The future feels bleak without her, and life will never be the same," he said.

"Our only hope is that lessons will finally be learned so that no other family has to go through what we have endured."

Suzanne White, a partner at Leigh Day solicitors, said Irene "should have been listened to and kept safe".

She said: "The finding of neglect, which represents a gross failure in Irene's care, is shocking and appalling for the family to hear.

"The inquest has brought into sharp focus a series of serious failings in Irene's care which should never have happened."

She added: "Too many people living with sickle cell disease, predominantly from black communities, report feeling dismissed, disbelieved, and marginalised when they seek care.

"This must change. Listening to patients, acting promptly on clinical warning signs, and ensuring staff have the right training and support are not optional, but basic standards of care."

A spokesperson for Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said: "We would like to express our deepest condolences to Irene Arthur's family and friends. We are truly sorry for the shortcomings in the care we provided and fully accept the coroner's findings.

"We are committed to learning from this case and have taken steps to address the issues raised ensuring lasting improvements for our patients and their families."

Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells. The most serious type is called sickle cell anaemia.

It is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background.

People with sickle cell disease produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels.

Sickle cell disease is a serious and lifelong health condition, although treatment can help manage many symptoms, and most people with it lead happy and normal lives.

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