Family 'devastated' at fine issued to neglect hospital

The family of a 13-year-old girl who died in hospital say they are "devastated" that the NHS trust was fined for a lack of transparency - but not for failures in her care.

Chloe Longster, from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, died from pneumonia and sepsis in November 2022, a day after being admitted to Kettering General Hospital.

In 2024, a coroner ruled Chloe's death was contributed to by neglect, and in December 2025 the Care Quality Commission fined Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust £1,250 for failing its "duty of candour".

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group said it was "deeply sorry for these failings".

Chloe, who had no serious underlying health conditions, was admitted to Skylark children's ward with severe chest pain and flu-like symptoms.

Her mother, Louise, told the inquest at Northampton Coroner's Court that her daughter was in such pain she had asked whether "she was going to die".

Chloe might have survived if she had received appropriate treatment earlier.

After the inquest, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) held an investigation and concluded the trust had "failed to carry out their duty to be open and transparent".

Louise said the first time the hospital contacted the family following Chloe's death on 29 November 2022 was six weeks later, on 12 January 2023.

"The call was presented as routine practice following an unexpected death and as an effort to keep the family informed," she said.

However she later discovered that an internal review had taken place and a "serious incident" was declared on 8 December.

"No information was offered about the seriousness of the failings, the concerns identified, or what had been uncovered during the initial review.

"The lack of recognition of the gravity of what had happened compounded the sense that Chloe was voiceless, and that neither she nor what happened to her mattered," Louise told the BBC.

"It was and still is utterly heartbreaking."

The family had hoped the trust would also be found guilty of breaching Regulation 12, which states: "Care and treatment must be provided in a safe way for service users."

Louise told the BBC: "There was a long and distressing criminal investigation into Regulation 12, which was the offence we had hoped would finally hold those responsible to account.

"That prosecution would not have undone what happened, but it would have felt like some recognition of the harm caused, and a small measure of justice for Chloe."

She added: "Our whole family are utterly devastated that the failure to call us for five/six weeks is reason for the fixed penalty notice.

"It's maddening they've only been fined for that."

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire had previously apologised to Chloe's family, saying she "did not get the care she should have".

Responding to the fine and breach of the duty of candour, a spokesperson said: "We are deeply sorry for these failings and have looked closely at how we deliver information to families going forwards, making changes to try to ensure that duty of candour is delivered appropriately and in a timely way."

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC's deputy director of hospitals in the Midlands said: "We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of 13-year-old Chloe Longster."

She added: "The amount of this fixed penalty notice is in no way representative of the value of Chloe's life, and is the amount that CQC is legally allowed to issue under these regulations."

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