Maeve Boothby O'Neill - articles about her life, death and inquest

SW is indeed a non-executive director on the board of NHS England:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/nhs-england-board/our-leadership-team/

While the response to the coroner from NHSE had a redacted signature it was attributed to the "National Medical Director", who is Sir Stephen Powis.

 

There was an article in the Times last Thursday Jan 16th which contained a short paragraph referring to Maeve's inquest. " A Devon coroner complained: " I write a lot of these [PFD] reports and often nothing happens."

PFD = prevention of future deaths

The article entitled " Reform our failing inquest system urges sister of tragic head teacher" focuses on the death of Ruth Perry, who died by suicide after an Ofsted inspection in which the primary school of which she was Head was downgraded from 'outstanding' to 'requires improvement'.
Her sister Professor Julia Walters called for reform of the inquest system and said that " public bodies should be legally compelled to make changes when concerns were raised by coroners."( my bold)

She also drew attention to "disparities in the allocation of legal funding." Public bodies receive taxpayers' money to fund legal teams while families are often not awarded legal aid. I think this was the case at Maeve's inquest. Perry's family crowdfunded £50,000 to pay a legal team.

Public bodies were identified by the coroner in Maeve's inquest but Sean O'Neill thought their responses lacked substance. See David Tuller (@dave30th ).A requirement to make changes would have made a significant difference.

https://virology.ws/2024/12/11/trai...to-coroners-report-in-boothby-oneill-inquest/

edit: amendment of Julia Walters occupation

 

There was also a mention in one of the leading articles. Both here:

 

The above contains the text of my complaint, the same day the Regulation 28 Prevention of Future Deaths report was issued following the Inquest into the death of Maeve Boothby O'Neill.

This following is copied from https://www.s4me.info/threads/uk-of...livery-plan-process.40610/page-10#post-585043


This is the reply I received, via my MP, from Andrew Gwynne MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention of the Department of Health and Social Care today. It is dated 31 January 2025. Andrew Gwynne also has responsibility for long-term conditions.

My initial reaction would breach forum rules. So I will take some time to consider my response.

Here is the content of the reply from the DHSC:

 

We’re not feeling like that. It isn’t being recognised.
Idk about the rest of the reply, I’m out of the loop here.

Thank you for posting, @Maat

 

Yes the “feel like” is really patronising.

If I remember correctly Nath said ME/CFS patients “feel like” their symptoms get worse after exercise and that really annoyed me ahah.

 

Is the term ‘meta’ correct for that exact wording chosen underlining /being a metaphor in itself for how sometimes people have been so conned into ‘polite gaslighting’ they don’t even realise that’s what they are doing.

it makes me wonder whether he is the original writer (or it’s a phrase from a reply he has received himself) because am I correct in thinking he has experienced long covid himself? If it were a letter from a person rather than position then I’d guess you’d just write ‘I recognise me/cfs but understand the actions and attitudes experienced by too many indicate that not all do/there is work to be done’

of course we have the added shouldn’t have to say it but given the Chalder and Gerada gaslight the cfs patients video that work does have to be changing the actions and attitudes of those who don’t recognise it, and haven't even realised they've been taught actions that such a non-recognition underlie the reason for ie they are conned and don't even realise they've been taught to do things that have been justified based on others' presumption everyone else also secretry thinks this (and removing those with ‘belief issues’ - it isn’t a protected religion but a bigotry)

but also …. Due to what that being so deliberately proliferated so no patient could even know if someone was stringing them along / had been taught to be duplicitous there is the added incumbency that also all staff should be required and trained to make it clear in no uncertain terms that are avoiding all of those one-liners from the video that were intende to mislead people into thinking they were understood but actually were being ‘amused because they lack insight’.

It’s a basic respect thing but also safety dignity and access to know people are using terms to ressure that aren’t the same as the code words wink wink nudge nudge we still seem to see.

 

I think the “feel like…” is corporate speak.


It is useful in a 1-1 or personal situation to acknowledge someone’s sense of a situation and/or their feelings.

It is passive-aggressive in a corporate/formal situation to minimise someone’s complaint as a “feeling”. It recognises that point of view, but makes no admission of guilt in causing the situation which it’s claim/could claim led to that feeling. Keeps them out of any legal trouble.

 

I too will refrain... as there seems a disjunct? between 'reality' and (political) rhetoric!

 

Apologies. I came across this and started to write. Am crashing so not completed.


By chance I came across our unread copy of the Sunday Times from last Sunday 23rd Feb.
In it was a report by Katie Tarrant of the inquest of a young female soldier who had killed herself following sexual abuse and harassment.

The "coroner read his scathing conclusion over two hours on Thursday..." ....

" It is unusual for a Coroner to deliver such a lengthy and detailed conclusion, and he was only able to do so because the inquest was listed under Article 2 of the Human Rights Act, used when it is suspected the state has failed an individual in their death." The article reported that the deceased's mother who pushed for this.

Of course I thought of Maeve. I don't know under what power her inquest was held.


Later in the paper was an article by Sean O'Neill, headed "If we cannot learn from fatal errors, families relive tragedy for nothing." Sean drew attention to the coroner's power ( used in Maeve's case) to write a PFD report whereby areas in healthcare, medical research, education and training could be pointed out where action could be taken to prevent future deaths. He reports that the written responses to the coroner have been underwhelming.
I am crashing so attach a link, paywalled, to the article. He describes the coronial system as greatly in need of reform.

https://www.thetimes.com/comment/co...families-relive-tragedy-for-nothing-5n8fxmgq8

There have been tweets discussing Sean's article for anyone on twitter.

 

I am not surprised that written reports to the coroner have been underwhelming. They will all have come from people with a vested interest in not rocking boats.

I seem to be the only physician trying to make some noise about this. I am setting up a thread about a video. No doubt it will pop up on your menus.

 

The video thread is here.