Inquest opens into death of 13-year-old girl from sepsis at UK hospital

A 13-year-old girl, Chloe Longster, died from sepsis at Kettering General Hospital after her condition worsened rapidly following a pneumonia diagnosis. Her parents allege failures in care and communication contributed to her death in November 2022. An inquest has begun to investigate the circumstances surrounding her admission and treatment. Chloe's mother reported concerns about a lack of sepsis screening and timely antibiotic administration, which were not addressed by hospital staff. Following Chloe's death, the Care Quality Commission found the hospital's systems for assessing and treating sepsis were ineffective. After an inspection, the hospital's children's services were downgraded from "requires improvement" to "inadequate."