Young mother's sepsis death was not down to 'staggered overdoses' of paracetamol given in hospital, coroner rules
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The death of a young mother following ‘staggered overdoses’ of paracetamol given while in hospital was not caused by the excess medication, a coroner concluded. Laura Higginson, 30, died after ten days in a medically induced coma at Whiston Hospital, Prescot on Merseyside in 2017.
![[Widower Dr Antony Higginson (right), 48, only found out about the doses of paracetamol three months after her death]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/09/92707567-14223965-Widower_Dr_Antony_Higginson_right_48_only_found_out_about_the_do-a-2_1735033060256.jpg)
Her husband Antony only found out that the Cambridge-educated trainee solicitor had been given the intravenous doses when he was shown a copy of the post mortem report months after her death. Earlier this month the former soldier told an inquest she had suffered ‘astonishing neglect’.
![[Laura Higginson (right) with her son Stephen and daughter Evelyn, then aged nine and seven]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/09/92707569-14223965-Laura_Higginson_right_with_her_son_Stephen_and_daughter_Evelyn_t-a-3_1735033067883.jpg)
However a coroner today concluded that based on evidence presented to the hearing, the effects of the paracetamol ‘could not have had a minimum contributory part to play in Laura’s passing’. Simon Holden gave a narrative conclusion saying he rejected the family’s submission that ‘neglect’ was a factor.
![[Antony, Laura and their son Stephen pictured on the couple's wedding day]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/09/92707565-14223965-Antony_Laura_and_their_son_Stephen_pictured_on_the_couple_s_wedd-a-4_1735033073631.jpg)
But he said would be contacting the Care Quality Commission about the hospital’s failure to exercise its ‘duty of candour’ by revealing that Mrs Higginson had been overdosed. Dr Higginson, now a technical architect with a software company, wept earlier this month as he told the hearing how he took the couple’s two children Stephen and Evie – aged nine and seven at the time - to say goodbye to their mother.
![[Laura died after ten days in a medically induced coma at Whiston Hospital, Prescot on Merseyside]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/24/09/92707563-14223965-Laura_died_after_ten_days_in_a_medically_induced_coma_at_Whiston-a-5_1735033082419.jpg)
