Grandmother died of sepsis after being misdiagnosed with stomach complaint
Suzanne Edwards, 71, of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, visited her GP on Nov 29 2024 with abdominal pain and vomiting but despite urgent blood and urine tests she was not sent to hospital.
Later that day her symptoms worsened and she went to A&E at Milton Keynes University Hospital, Bucks.
Her test results were indicative of systemic inflammation and dehydration but she was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and discharged.
Her condition deteriorated further and the following day her family called NHS 111.
She was directed to an urgent care centre and transferred to Bedford Hospital where clinicians identified a 7mm stone in her urinary tract and sepsis.
She underwent emergency surgery but died later on the evening of Dec 1 from septic shock.
'Heart of our family'
Stacey Edwards, her daughter, said: 'My mum was the heart of our family – full of warmth, compassion and humour.
'It's devastating to know that her death may have been avoided if the signs of sepsis had been recognised sooner.'
Her family described her as 'an unbelievably kind and caring woman with a wicked sense of humour and fun'.
She leaves behind husband Terence, two children and two granddaughters.
Stacey said: 'When she visited her GP she was so unwell she used a wheelchair.
'After she was taken to A&E we were told it was likely gastroenteritis. She was given IV fluids and pain relief but she was still in pain and struggling.
'There was very little communication from doctors and when she was discharged we were simply told to come back if symptoms returned.
'At home, things got worse. But because she'd been examined by medical professionals we thought she just needed time to recover.
'The call we received later that evening asking us to come in urgently is something we'll never forget.
'Neither is watching her suffer in those final days.'
Jewellery went missing
Soon after her death Mrs Edwards' family realised her jewellery worth thousands of pounds – three necklaces and four bracelets – were missing.
Stacey said: 'Mum never took off her jewellery.
'It is heartbreaking to think someone may have taken advantage of such a tragic situation.'
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust launched a full investigation and search at the time but the items were never found.
Tom Osborne, the senior coroner for Milton Keynes, recorded a narrative verdict saying there was a failure to recognise the signs of a urinary tract obstruction, leading to missed opportunities to treat Mrs Edwards before sepsis developed.
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