Sudden death of 13-year-old Chloe Longster from Market Harborough - inquest to begin today

Keen dancer Chloe Longster died in November 2022 just 18.5 hours after she was admitted to hospital

The teen had severe pain in her lower ribs and cold-like symptoms on admission to the Skylark Ward and died the following day after contracting sepsis. She had no underlying health conditions.

After her death, pupils at Robert Smyth Academy, where Chloe was a year nine pupil, received bereavement support and raised more than £2,500 for Sepsis UK.

Assistant Coroner Sophie Lomas will today (Monday, October 7) open a five-day ‘enhanced’ hearing examining the circumstances around Chloe’s death.

In an unusual move, the coroner has ordered the proceedings to take the form of an Article 2 Inquest.

This is a specific type of inquest held when there is a potential violation of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the ‘right to life.’

These inquests are more thorough than standard hearings and are required when the state may have been involved in the death or failed to protect a life.

The coroner is tasked with investigating not just how the person died but also the broader circumstances surrounding the death. This may involve looking at systemic failings, decision-making processes, and whether the state could have done more to prevent the death.

Alongside the inquest, the Care Quality Commission’s national prosecution team is investigating the circumstances surrounding Chloe's death

A CQC statement said: “The CQC are aware of the sad death of Chloe Longster, who was receiving care from Kettering General Hospital. Our condolences are with her family and friends at this sad time. We are liaising with the trust to establish the circumstances around Chloe’s death, to determine whether there is any regulatory action we may need to take.

“CQC’s priority, at all times, is the health and wellbeing of people using health and social care services, and all information we receive informs our monitoring of services and future inspections. If we’re not satisfied people are receiving safe care, we will not hesitate to take action in line with our regulatory powers.”