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A tragic incident unfolded when a young mother, Lauren Page Smith, aged 29, was discovered lifeless at her Wolverhampton residence, hours after paramedics had given her the all-clear, as revealed by her family.
In January, Lauren was found by her mother, Emma Carrington, lying on the floor with her two-year-old daughter on her chest, who had been desperately trying to wake her. The family claims that Lauren had been suffering from chest pains and vomiting, but paramedics may not have taken her condition seriously.
Emma Carrington expressed her concerns, stating, “We believe that because of her age and the fact that she was calm, the paramedics did not think she could be as ill as she was, and she did not get the care she needed.” She added, “There are simply no words to describe how we feel as a family. Through no fault of her own, my daughter does not have a future, and my granddaughter will grow up never knowing her mother.”
The post-mortem examination revealed that Smith had succumbed to a sudden heart attack due to a blood clot in her lung. An inquest into her death is scheduled at the Black Country Coroners’ Court on November 1.
The law firm FBC Manby Bowdler, representing the Smith family, expressed concerns that West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics may have misinterpreted Lauren’s ECG readings, wrongly assuring her that she was fine instead of transporting her to the hospital.
The ambulance service’s internal investigation concluded that clinicians may have been “falsely reassured” about Lauren’s condition due to her age and outward appearance of wellness. Her calm demeanor led medical staff to underestimate the severity of her discomfort.
A spokesperson for the West Midlands Ambulance Service offered their condolences, saying, “We would like to apologize to the family of Lauren Smith after what must have been an extremely difficult period. The Trust carried out a full investigation into what happened to see what learning could be taken from such a tragic case. We are determined to do everything possible to try and stop something like this ever happening again.”
The review prompted various recommendations to improve patient care, including additional training for clinicians in recognizing acute coronary syndrome (ACS), particularly in women.
The spokesperson added, “We hope that the inquest will answer all of the questions that the family has about this case.”
This incident is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by emergency medical services, and the tragic consequences that can occur when assessments are not thorough. It also follows previous incidents of service delays and misjudgments, raising concerns about the effectiveness and accuracy of emergency healthcare in the region.
