Hailey Thompson, who ‘loved muddy puddles and dressing up, died
06:03, 04 Apr 2025Updated 06:38, 04 Apr 2025
Hailey Thompson(Image: Family/UGC)
An inquest jury has concluded that a 22-month-old with Strep A who passed away in her sleep 24 hours after being sent home from hospital died of natural causes.
Hailey Thompson’s death in December 2022 was caused by sepsis and pneumonia which was caused by Group A streptococcus, a bacterial infection otherwise known as Strep A..
As the jury retired to consider the case at Bolton Coroners’ Court on Thursday afternoon (April 4), Coroner Michael Pemberton directed its members to reach a ‘natural causes’ conclusion.
He also instructed them to ‘disregard’ any suspicions they might have about the decision to send the tot home without antibiotics after being diagnosed with a viral infection.
The inquest, held at Bolton Coroner’s Court, previously heard how an expert said the decision had been ‘reasonable’.
After deliberating for 69 minutes, the jury of 11 returned a ‘natural causes’ conclusion. The jurors also said there had been ‘missed opportunities’ for the case to be reviewed ‘at primary care level’, although these ‘did not contribute’ to the death.
Mr Pemberton is set to formally write to the family’s GP practice about his concerns.
Hailey, who was 22 months old, was described by her parents, dad Kris Thompson and mum Ibolya Adam, from Ashton-in-Makerfield in Wigan as a ‘very funny and very happy’ little girl who loved muddy puddles and dressing up.
After the verdict, the parents said they ‘remain concerned about the quality of care Hailey received in the days leading up to her death’.
Hailey taken to GP a number of times
The inquest, which began on Monday (March 31), was told how the parents have serious concerns over her examination by an A&E doctor at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan the day before her death, and whether the Strep A could have been picked up and dealt with by antibiotics.
A few weeks before her death, on December 7, Hailey had developed a cold and a cough. She was taken to the doctors and given antibiotics for a suspected throat infection, which she took.
On December 9, her mum said she noticed a red rash on her face and neck when she collected her from nursery. They contacted the out-of-hours GP, but were told no appointments were available until December 13.
Kris and Ibolya with Hailey and Charlotte(Image: Kris Thompson/Ibolya Adam)
The jury was told a decision was taken to stop Hailey’s antibiotics in case she had an allergy – her elder sister, Charlotte, is allergic to penicillin.
Further GP appointments were sought and she was booked in for December 16. But the jury heard she had a high temperature and a runny nose at nursery on the day and was collected earlier by her mum ahead of the afternoon appointment. A viral infection was diagnosed and they were told to go home and give her Calpol and Ibuprofen. The jury was told her chest and throat were checked by the GP.
On December 17, the jury was told she seemed to improve and ‘ate everything’. But after going to bed in the early evening, Kris checked on her at around 11.30pm and described her as ‘panting for breath’. They called 999 and 111, but the jury heard they were told of a ‘two-hour’ waiting time for 111 advice.
Emergency 999 operators then called back and told them no ambulances were available and it would be ‘better’ if they went to the hospital themselves.
The jury heard they went to A&E at the Royal Albert Edward at 1am, where they waited for four hours. After another hour, Hailey was seen by a doctor. The jury was told her chest was clear, but a doctor struggled to check her throat and tonsils.
Dad Kris with Hailey(Image: Kris Thompson/Ibolya Adam)
In a statement, Ibolya said the doctor didn’t shine a torch down her throat and had to go to get a stick to place on her tongue. Dad Kris said he mentioned her previous GP attendance and the viral infection diagnosis to the doctor.
In a statement, he said Hailey was biting down on the throat stick and when she did open her mouth, the doctor’s spotlight wasn’t in the right position to see down her throat.
Kris said the doctor ‘seemed to be getting more agitated’. The jury was told the stick was then pushed into her mouth and she ‘gagged’ on it, making her vomit.
Kris said Hailey was ‘pale and clingy’ and the doctor appeared to have ‘given up’. No blood was taken, or tests run, and the jury was told no medication for Hailey was given to them.
‘She’s dying’
They were sent home at 6am and told to monitor her. A viral infection was diagnosed again. That evening, December 18, she went to sleep with ‘no worrying signs’ after being given Calpol and was checked on before the rest of the house went to bed.
Kris said he last checked on her in her cot at midnight, and said her breathing ‘was not as laboured’.
Mum Ibolya said they got up at 5.30am the following morning, December 19, to find Hailey cold in her cot. Dad Kris ran into the bedroom and dialled 999, saying ‘she’s dying’, the jury heard.
“Everything was a blur,” said Ibolya in her statement.
Kris gave her CPR before paramedics arrived and took over and she was taken to the same hospital. Sadly, Hailey died there at around 7.35am.
Two doctors at the hospital told the inquest they had concluded the prescribing of further antibiotics for Hailey was was not likely to be effective as she was considered to be suffering from a viral infection.
Paediatric nurse Sharon Taylor, in her evidence to the inquest, said Royal Albert Edward Infirmary was very busy that night with a ‘low’ nurse staffing levels. Parents were coming into the hospital ‘due to publicity’ about Strep A. She said she recalled Hailey because of her pink glasses.
An expert witness, Dr Christopher Fitzsimmons, told the inquest that, having read the medical notes, he considered the decision to send Hailey home that night had been ‘reasonable’. However, he said the notes had not contained all the relevant information and were ‘sub-optimal’.
The coroner, referring to Dr Fitzsimmons’ evidence, told the jury to ‘disregard’ any suspicion that they might have about the ‘suspension’ of antibiotics as they could not be sure this ‘more than minimally contributed’ to the death.
He said it would ‘not be safe to speculate’ whether further antibiotics would have saved her life.
The jury found that Hailey attended her GP on December 7, 2022, and was prescribed antibiotics to treat bacterial tonsillitis. The treatment was stopped after three days after she developed a rash ‘thought to be an allergic reaction’, the jury said.
“There were missed opportunities for this to be reviewed at primary care level, however this did not contribute to her death,” the jury concluded. Hailey remained unwell and was seen by her GP on December 16 and again at A&E two days later. A viral infection was diagnosed on these occasions and ‘therefore antibiotics were not required’, said the jury.
Hailey was found ‘unresponsive’ at her home and taken to hospital where she died despite efforts to resuscitate her. She died of sepsis arising from Strep A infection in her lungs which caused pneumonia, said the jury.
After the foreman of the jury returned the conclusions, the coroner Mr Pemberton told Hailey’s family: “While the death has been found to be natural, anybody who has knowledge and knows the facts of this case will share the sadness and tragedy of it.”
He said the parents ‘would cherish the memory’ of Hailey ‘for eternity’.
Parents ‘remain concerned’ after verdict
After the hearing, parents Kris and Ibolya said in a statement: “Over the last four days the coroner has heard evidence from Hailey’s family, and the people involved in her care leading up to her tragic death on December 19, 2022. Having heard the evidence over the past few days we remain concerned about the quality of care Hailey received in the days leading up to her death.”
They again expressed concern about the care their daughter received and suggested Hailey may have survived with better treatment.
They added: “When we went to hospital, we didn’t feel listened to… We knew our little girl was poorly. We were sure she had a chest infection, but we kept being told it was just a virus, like a cold.”
The parents continued: “She would now be four years old. We accept the finding of the jury and we note that the GP and the hospital trust will be learning lessons from this and we hope these lessons go on to save the life of other children.”
Professor Sanjay Arya, Medical Director at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told the M.E.N.: “Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) would like to once again offer its condolences to Hailey’s parents, and those who loved her.
“Following a thorough inquest, we acknowledge the Jury’s findings that Hailey’s cause of death was due to natural causes. Our thoughts remain with the family during this difficult time.”