Northampton family speak of disgust over delays to inquest over son's death
A pre-inquest review hearing will take place today over Luke Abrahams who died of sepsis in 2023.
The family of a young man from Northampton who died of sepsis say they want to find out if criminal charges can be brought over his death.
Luke Abrahams, from East Hunsbury, died at Northampton General Hospital on January 23, 2023, just a week after he’d first complained of feeling unwell with a sore throat.
He eventually developed sepsis and the life-threatening infection necrotising fasciitis, also known as the ‘flesh-eating disease’.
Dad Richard says delays to the full inquest have been disgusting:
"We just want to hear somebody stand up, and say we were wrong. We want justice for Luke. And if it means a criminal proceed, now I want to go ahead with it, because this has to stop."
20 year old keen footballer Luke was initially diagnosed by his GP as having tonsillitis, and then sciatica as he developed unbearable cramp pains in his leg over the following week.
He was assessed by health professionals on six separate occasions before finally being admitted to hospital. This included being assessed by a crew from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) three days before his death, who made a decision not to take him to hospital.
A Serious Incident Investigation at the EMAS Trust has since concluded that Luke had displayed symptoms which should have been recorded as a ‘Red’ score – indicating an immediately life-threatening condition.
A decision was taken to amputate his leg in an effort to save his life, but he died, having suffered a cardiac arrest, after surgery.
Dad Richard says it's painful the delays have taken to long in the inquest, with Luke's younger brother Jake now preparing to go to university, without his brother there to wish him off.
Richard also says other families have got in touch to share their experiences:
"I've had other families contacted me saying, we wish we would have done the same as what you did, but we were frightened off by the NHS.
"I even have one person, say they mentioned Luke's name when they went to the doctors. When they mentioned his name, they suddenly took their son's case seriously."
The investigation described the failure to take Luke to hospital as a ‘missed opportunity to seek extra medical help which could have prevented deterioration’. It said the crew had failed to follow guidelines and policies.
Speaking on behalf of the health system in the county Chief Nursing Officer from NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board Maria Laffan said:
“As a health community we would like to once again offer our sincere condolences to Luke’s family on his tragic death.
"A multi-agency incident investigation to explore lessons learned was held into the circumstances of his death in 2023 and recognition and apology made for aspects of his care that fell below NHS standards. This has been shared with his family and has included the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers.”