Businesswoman died after intestine twist - inquest

A well-known businesswoman and philanthropist was in "excruciating pain" from a twisted intestine not flagged up to clinicians before she died, an inquest has heard.

Dame Julie Kenny, who was known for her work with charity SAVE Britain's Heritage to buy and restore Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham, was admitted to hospital in February 2025 after complaining of abdominal pain.

The 67-year-old's initial scan showed the beginning of a twisted intestine but this was not highlighted in a report from an outsourced radiologist.

Dame Julie died a week after emergency surgery, Doncaster Coroner's Court was told earlier.

The inquest heard CT scans were outsourced to Everlight Radiology, whose website says it provides scans for various NHS hospitals.

The abdominal inspection was provided remotely to Dr Vishy Acharya at 04:55 on 8 February, with him viewing it and then sending it back to the hospital at 05:55 that same morning.

He told the court he did not report "swirling of the mesentery", a tissue which attaches the intestines to the abdomen, on the scan despite seeing it.

This was because he had previously been told by clinicians not to report "swirling for every patient" as most of the time it was not significant and potentially over-complicated reports for surgeons.

He added he would report it on the scan if there were secondary problems, however "none of those were present on this scan".

Since Dame Julie's death, Dr Acharya said he now reported "every swirling", and added: "I wish this was my practice from the beginning."

Dame Julie had previously had a gastric bypass, which increased the risk of twisted organs.

A further scan on 15 February, also analysed by Everlight Radiology, was shown to have "features of significant clinical concern", radiologist Dr Francesco Impiombato said in a written statement.

They wrote a note advising "urgent referral to the surgical team".

Dame Julie was operated on the same day and was in a coma for a week before dying, the court heard.

Dr Sadashiv Kamath, a consultant radiologist at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, said after examining the initial scan months later as part of a review into Dame Julie's care, he could see not just swirling "but vascular occlusion" with a vein being blocked.

"That indicates that it's being squeezed and the bowels were at an early stage of the organ dying."

In a statement read to the court, Dame Julie's daughter Charlotte said her mother complained of "excruciating pain" and struggled to eat in the days after being admitted to hospital.

Paying tribute to her, she said her mother "loved philanthropy" as part of her work giving back to the communities she lived and worked in.

Dame Julie, born in Hillsborough, set up a successful security firm.

As chair of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, she oversaw the major restoration of the Grade I listed country house and its development as a visitor attraction.

Among her appointments were Deputy Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Master Cutler of Sheffield and High Sheriff of South Yorkshire.

Despite her achievements, her son Laurence described his mother as having a "troubled upbringing growing up on a council estate".

"She always wanted to create a better life for us kids, that was her focal point. She never missed an opportunity to say she loved us and tell us we could be anything we wanted as long as we were happy."

In recognition of her extensive service to industry and heritage, she was honoured with a damehood in 2019

The three-day inquest continues.

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