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

I think the fact that her GP now has PTSD from the whole affair speaks volumes about the failings of the system

 

Do we know if her PTSD is attributed to the issues surrounding Maeve’s death?

 

Is the GP still practising medicine?

 

Apparently two nurses involved in Maeve’s care won’t be able to attend due to sickness.

 

https://twitter.com/user/status/1815329591478685778

 

For those watching online - don't leave meeting during breaks , you may not get back in

https://twitter.com/user/status/1815360106709549465

 

“How has the medical profession enabled a culture where all patients are treated with dignity, compassion and respect – except people with ME/CFS?

Who is responsible? Will they be held to account?

#MaeveInquest”

 

This case had a fatal outcome. If people are too sick to attend in person they could have been asked to give evidence from home via Teams.

 

Dr Shenton is not listed as a team member at the surgery where Dr McDermott is a partner

 

Paul Keeble on Xitter:

“Maeve's GP Dr Shenton (sp?) is too unwell to provide evidence. They are a critical witness who recognised how badly Maeve was treated. They are determining if written questions can be a substitute. #maeveinquest

Decision made, not going to summons Dr Shenton due to their PTSD. Her statements will be admitted as evidence. Some focussed written questions will be asked by the coroner.“

 

Heartbreaking

 

This is one case. How many more where all the details are this horrific? I assume all of them, but there is no way to know because it takes a lot of personal influence to make this happen, otherwise all the details are buried, gagged, locked up tight. The culture of secrecy and cover-up in health care enables horrible outcomes and whitewashes all responsibility.

How common is this? This looks common across the board. This kind of behavior doesn't happen by chance, it takes a culture to support it for things to ever get this bad, and they look standard.

 

From Erin M on Twitter:

Lying in the bed next to my #LongCovidKid daughter’s hospital bed, listening in through headphones to Maeve Boothby O’Neill’s inquest. We’ve been over a year here at this hospital. Listening to my daughter’s feeding pump whir. Knowing she’s paid already an incalculable price for access to nutrition and hydration to keep her alive. Been terrified. Threatened. Extreme psychological abuse and gaslit by those purporting to act in her best interests. Like so many others like her. As Maeve was. Hearing
@swastrosarah’s fight for her daughter - a fellow “angry mum”. Being told she’s being anxious. There’s nothing wrong. The bloods are fine. Watching a slow moving disaster, a tragedy in freeze frame, be metered out upon her daughter. And no one heeding her call. I used to think - perhaps I’ll unravel a sign on the busiest bridge in my capital city - “someone please help my kid”. It is instinct to save your child. Thinking how today Sarah is still gritting her teeth and fighting through against the odds. Unravelling the sign for us. Feeling such sorrow but incredible gratitude; she is fighting not just for the memory of her only child, Maeve, but for us. Thinking of all those “angry” mums world over, fighting fiercely with every bit of their being, for their children. Knowing hospital notes say the exact same about me, and so many other mums. Solidarity to the “obstructionists”. We must triumph one day soon. For you, Maeve. The girl who the world misses out on now. How I wish I might have met you. #maevesinquest #pwme #LongCovid #MECFS

 

Article in the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/society...elp-her-get-enough-food-to-live-inquest-hears

 

Yahoo News / Press Association article:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/woman-asked-gp-help-feeding-151927250.html

 

The Times - "ME patient’s GP had ‘never seen anyone so poorly treated’, inquest told":

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/maeve-boothby-oneill-me-death-inquest-r3q0qlt5n

Devon Live - "Exeter woman died battling severe ME":
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeter-woman-died-battling-severe-9428459

Canary - "Maeve Boothby O’Neill’s inquest has already highlighted how little doctors understand ME/CFS":
https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2024/07/22/mecfs-inquest-maeve-boothby-oneill

ETA: If anyone's having difficulty accessing the Times article, try this link.

 

From the Guardian article,
"At the start of her inquest in Exeter, it was revealed that Boothby O’Neill’s GP, Dr Lucy Shenton, who had worked hard to get her help, would not appear to give evidence because she had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder over the case.

The coroner, Deborah Archer, said: “She felt stress and Maeve’s tragic death had taken a very significant toll on her.”"

 

The Devon Live article gives a little more detail:

 

Woman with ME asked GP for help with feeding, inquest hears

Woman with ME asked GP for help with feeding, inquest hears (msn.com)