Tragedy of woman who died weighing just four stones
MEDICS ADMIT TO CORONER THAT KEY GUIDANCE FOR EATING DISORDER TREATMENT WAS NOT FOLLOWED
AN ANOREXIC woman who died weighing just four stones told medics she was ‘desperate’ for medical help – before being repeatedly discharged, an inquest has heard.
Nichola Lomax was 36 when she passed away from multiple organ failure on August 3, 2020.
In the months leading up to her death Nichola, from Radcliffe, Bury, and her family were ‘desperately’ trying to seek help for her deteriorating physical health.
But Rochdale Coroners Court heard how GPs at Radcliffe Medical Practice didn’t weigh her for two years between 2018 and 2020, even though she was losing weight.
Nichola’s sister, Kelly Cooke, explained that her sister developed an eating disorder between the ages of 16 and 18.
“We started noticing she wasn’t eating,” said Kelly. “Then she went to bulimia, where she would eat and then be sick. We tried to help her and she booked into The Priory (at Cheadle) a couple of times.
“She was in and out of hospital seeing doctors and just trying to make herself better.”
Coroner Joanne Kearsley was told that Nichola made several visits to Bury’s Fairfield General Hospital in the months before August 2020 – but was sent home rather than being admitted.
Her GPs made a number of referrals to The Priory to receive specialist treatment for her eating disorder.
These requests were declined as the Priory would not accept her on the basis that she was too unwell and needed medical ‘stabilisation.’
The Northern Care Alliance Trust, which runs Fairfield Hospital, agreed that there was a failure to raise awareness of and implement MARZIPAN guidance – national advice for clinicians assessing and managing the physical health of patients with eating disorders.
Had the medical teams treating
We opened the door and Nichola came crawling on her hands and knees. She couldn’t stand up Sister Kelly Cooke
Nichola been aware of the guidance it was accepted by the trust that her treatment would have been vastly different.
Dr Bishri Azeer from the practice admitted to the coroner that medics there also did not look at the MARZIPAN guidance.
Community dietitians wrote to Nichola’s GP in January 2020 informing them that they did not offer the service for eating disorder patients and were therefore unable to help.
By the end of July 2020, Nichola weighed just four stones and went back to the accident and emergency department at Fairfield at the suggestion of the GP.
Within 24 hours, her blood tests across the board were deteriorating and over the next five days, Nichola descended rapidly into multiple organ failure and died on August 3.
Kelly spoke of one distressing event in June 2020 when they visited Nichola on her partner Guy Carver’s birthday.
Kelly said: “We opened the door and Nichola came crawling on her hands and knees towards us. She couldn’t stand up. She looked grey in the face and said she was going to pass away at any moment.
“From June onwards, Nichola kept saying ‘please help me, I’m going to die.’ She thought she was coming towards the end of her life.
“She was admitted on June 1 and I next heard from Nichola the following day, the hospital sent her home.
“I was shocked they were letting her out. When Nichola was told she was being discharged I went straight to the ward and demanded to see the psychologist.
“He said to me ‘what do you want me to do?.’
“I said ‘I want you to section her now’ and he said ‘she’s mentally stable.’ Kelly broke down in tears when she said: “I told him she’s 4st 2lbs’ and he said ‘it’s not my area.’