Inquest into tragic death of 11-year-old Alcester schoolgirl Annabel Greenhalgh
AN INQUEST into the sudden death of an 11-year-old schoolgirl concluded she died from natural causes after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Annabel Greenhalgh was in her first term in Year 7 at Alcester Grammar School when she was taken ill in October 2022.
The school contacted Annabel’s parents, Josie and Craig, from Heathcote, on 13th October, 2022, as she had a tummy ache – Annabel had described the pain as being eight out of 10.
Annabel’s family took her to A&E at Warwick Hospital where tests and scans were carried out and medics concluded that it was constipation. She was sent home but the following morning was found unresponsive by her father.
On Friday (14th June) the inquest concluded: “Annabel Greenhalgh died from a cardiac arrhythmia on 14th October at Warwick Hospital after being found collapsed and in cardiac arrest at her home.
“She had been discharged from the same hospital the day before, having presented with abdominal pain arising from her complex background medical issues.”
Those medical issues, as previously reported by the Herald, stemmed from the very start of Annabel’s life. She had been born at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in 2011 where she needed care for a bowel condition. As a baby, she spent seven weeks in the hospital after having surgery to remove a blockage and returned in 2016 for further surgery.
Her medical history and the care she received at Warwick Hospital was a focus of the lawyers appointed by Annabel’s parents.
The inquest report added: “[Annabel] should have been directly reviewed by a more senior surgeon and admitted to hospital for further investigation.
“However, it is not possible to conclude that the missed opportunities to take these steps more than minimally contributed to her death.”
Following the inquest, Emma Rush, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “It’s more than 18 months since Annabel died, and losing her so suddenly and in such traumatic circumstances continues to have a profound effect on her family, particularly Josie and Craig.
“Grieving for their only daughter has been made even more difficult because of the many unanswered questions and concerns they had had around the events leading up to her death.
“While nothing will ever make up for the pain and loss Josie and Craig feel, we’re pleased that we’ve at least been able to provide them with the answers they deserve.
“Sadly, the inquest has highlighted worrying issues in the care provided to Annabel prior to her death. It’s now vital that lessons are learned to help improve patient safety and prevent other families from going through the terrible suffering that Annabel’s family has.”
In a joint statement, Josie and Craig said: “To lose Annabel in the way we did will haunt us forever. She was our beloved girl and for her to be taken away so suddenly and cruelly is something we’ll never get over.
“To this day, we still wake up and it takes us a moment to remember what’s happened, then the horror and devastation hits us like a truck. No parent should ever outlive their child. To think we’ll never get to celebrate landmarks in life such as Annabel passing her exams, getting married or having children of her own is hard to accept.
“To relive everything again at the inquest has been very tough for both of us, but we’re grateful that we at least have some answers now.
“We would give anything to have Annabel back in our lives – we miss her love and enthusiasm so much – but we know that can’t happen.
“All we can hope for now is that no other family has to go through what we have.”
