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Family of woman who died from sex game infection condemn junior doctor who had been in UK for four months

The family of a woman who died from an infection caught after a sex game have lashed out at the hospital who treated her.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Patricia Widdowson said the “complete and utter neglect” of Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham and a junior doctor who had been in the UK for four months were responsible for her daughter Katie’s death.

Ms Widdowson, from Telford, Shropshire, confirmed her daughter and her boyfriend-of-five years Dean Smith had sex on New Year’s Day morning when he tied her up.

Shortly after that, Katie, 23, complained of pain in her wrist, resulting in a trip to Good Hope Hospital.

At first the injury was dismissed as a sprained wrist and she was given some painkillers before being sent home.

But by the next day it had turned black and was covered in blisters and she was unable to move it.

Katie was taken to Heartland’s Hospital via ambulance but had a heart attack on the way and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at A&E on January 2 this year.

Katie Widdowson's arm became infected after a sex game with her boyfriend Dean Smith (SWNS)
Katie Widdowson’s arm became infected after a sex game with her boyfriend Dean Smith (SWNS)

Ms Widdowson said: “They (Katie and Dean) had been at a New Year’s Eve party until 5am on New Year’s Day.

“They’d got home around 6am and they’d had sex and she was tied up. They were a loving couple and it’s nobody’s else’s business what they did behind closed doors.

“Later that day Katie sent Dean a photo of her wrist saying it was hurting.

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“The next night her arm looked horrific. Dean took a picture of it while the ambulance was on its way.

“There is a black mark on the base of her thumb and we think that is where the injury started.

“I don’t know what caused the injury but it doesn’t matter because that was not what killed her. The hospital’s complete and utter neglect killed her.

The 23-year-old died after having a heart attack on the way to hospital (SWNS)
The 23-year-old died after having a heart attack on the way to hospital (SWNS)

“When she went into Good Hope Hospital on the 1st she had a MEWS (Modified Early Warning Score) of six which is a red flag for sepsis but this was ignored.

“The junior doctor had only been in the country for four months. She had come over from India. If they had treated Katie properly she would still be alive.”

Katie suffered a heart attack on her way to Heartland’s Hospital in Birmingham on January 2 but despite desperate attempts to save her she died at 5.20am the next day.

Katie’s boyfriend Dean Smith, 25, said: “The coroner did say it was most likely to be the tying up as the cause (of the deadly infection) but I have no recollection of it, we were drunk because we’d been celebrating the New Year.

“I went to work on New Year’s Day at about 11.30am and she was fine. She messaged me at 5pm a photo of her swollen wrist.

Katie's mum said her daughter's death was down to the
Katie’s mum said her daughter’s death was down to the “neglect” of Good Hope hospital (SWNS)

“We went to the hospital and the first doctor we saw referred her to a more senior doctor but they just dismissed her.

“I think they were busy and understaffed. Katie told the doctors at the hospital that I tied her up.

“The next day I woke up about 11.30am and I was leaving for work and I said if you need me during the day then I will come home.

“Her condition got worse and I told my kitchen manager but by the time the ambulance arrived she was very delirious when she was talking to the paramedics.

“In the ambulance, she looked at me and smiled and then she suffered a cardiac arrest.

“She died in the ambulance but they managed to get her back.

“She eventually suffered another cardiac arrest and died at 5.20am on January 3.”

Katie died of a heart attack on the way to Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham (Google)
Katie died of a heart attack on the way to Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham (Google)

Assistant coroner Emma Brown said that Katie should have been kept in hospital and undergone major surgery.

She told Birmingham Coroner’s Court: “They (the doctors) flagrantly ignored the policy that was there for the very situation Katie found herself in.

“Her early warning score was six and should have resulted in regular and ongoing observations and further investigations.

“These were not carried out. If Katie had remained in hospital, it is clear that her death would have been avoidable.”

Top pic: SWNS