Woman who battled anorexia died from organ failures

SHE HAD ILLNESS FOR YEARS AND WAS JUST 41 WHEN SHE DIED

A WOMAN who had battled anorexia for years died in hospital after going in with itching all over her body.

Michelle Smart was just 41 years old when she died at Burton’s Queen’s Hospital of multiple organ failure on November 26 last year, her inquest has heard.

She had been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa back in 2001 and had spent many years battling the eating disorder.

Her inquest heard that she had been unwell for many years and could present with challenging behaviour.

There were concerns from her family over her capacity to give consent after she refused to let medical staff keep them up-todate over her health, the hearing told.

Psychiatrist Dr Robert Dennis had known Ms Smart since 2007 through treating her for her eating disorder. He told the inquest how she had last been admitted to St George’s Hospital, in Stafford, in February 2020 due to low weight and malnutrition.

She was discharged on May 14 after she had been asking to leave for a period time and her weight was then back to normal.

However, Dr Dennis said she did not take part in all the activities and he said at the time he would have rather she had stayed in hospital a little longer but it was felt that she was not detainable under the Mental Health Act.

It was agreed that she would be seen as an outpatient and she was discharged.

However, after leaving hospital she only attended a few appointments. She told her GP that she was to see a private psychiatrist, the hearing was told.

Ms Smart, of Manor Drive,

C rakema r s h

Hall, near Uttoxeter, was admitted to Burton’s

Queen’s Hospital on November 8 with itchy skin n all over her body dy and fatigue, her inquest was told. d. She was suffering from a condition that saw her skin flaking and the capillaries were oozing.

Dermatologists and psychiatrists were involved in her treatment and advice was sought from the intensive care unit at the Royal Derby Hospital and Queen’s Hospital in Birmingham.

While in hospital she became acutely unwell and died on November 26. She also tested positive for Covid-19 in hospital.

Her brother Daniel told the inquest that he thought Ms Smart had been let down by the system due to her anorexia – and he questioned whether she had the capacity to make the decisions for herself.

South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh said her cause of death was from multiple organ failure, with pigmented purpuric dermatosis (a skin condition), Covid-19 and anorexia nervosa all contributing.

He recorded a verdict of natural causes aggravated by problematic presentation to healthcare services.

He noted a main concern from the family was the doctors saying Ms Smart had the capacity to consent but the coroner added there was evidence that she did have the capacity.

Mr Haigh passed on his sincere condolences to the family of Ms Smart and th thanked them for all of the i information that they have h provided for the inquest. i

T The NHS says of th the condition: ““People who have anorexia try to keep their w weight as low as p possible by not ea eating enough foo food or exercising too much, m or both. “This can make them very ill beca because they start to starve. They often have a distorted image of their bodies, thinking they’re fat even when they’re underweight. Men and women of any age can get anorexia, but it’s most common in young women and typically starts in the midteens.

If you need help, you can talk in confidence to an adviser from eating disorders charity Beat on its adult helpline on 0808 801 0677. or youth helpline on 0808 801 0711.

Inquest

In hospital she became acutely unwell and died on November 26. She also tested positive for Covid-19