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

Yes, badly worded. The point I was trying to make is that ME/CFS is the only condition I’m aware of in which patients are routinely mistreated because of what medical professionals are taught (or not taught).

 

Maeve Boothby O’Neill’s inquest has already highlighted how little doctors understand ME/CFS: It's only day one

https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2024/07/22/mecfs-inquest-maeve-boothby-oneill/

 

From Today’s Times report:

“Dr Lucy Shenton, who had been Maeve’s GP for years and was fond of her patient, is so traumatised by her death that she will not give evidence at her landmark inquest, which began on Monday at Exeter county court.

Shenton was due to be the first witness at the inquest, which will examine delays in providing Maeve with palliative care and whether different clinical decisions might have saved her life.

However, coroner Deborah Archer revealed that Shenton was being treated by a clinical psychologist who “felt that the stress and Maeve’s tragic death had taken a very significant toll on her”. She was suffering from post-traumatic stress and to give evidence would likely trigger a mental health breakdown, the inquest was told.

O’Neill told the hearing that Shenton said she had “never seen anyone so poorly treated as Maeve was”. As Maeve’s health rapidly declined, the inquest was told, Shenton’s repeated requests for specialised and co-ordinated help were not realised. Shenton said that “several doctors involved in her care stated they do not believe ME is a medical problem”.”

​

 

Also a BBC article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2q03ppzzz0o

and two articles in the Daily Mail:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13659957/GP-poorly-treated-NHS-woman-died-inquest.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13660085/woman-bedridden-letter-gp-died-inquest.html

 

Sorry I didn’t reply earlier, I think this has been answered but yes. Up until last week she was prepared to attend the inquest but after requesting and reviewing the GP notes her psychiatric therapist then wrote to the coroner saying that giving evidence in person would trigger a major breakdown.
they could compel her to attend but they didn’t want to be the cause of someone’s health deterioration. They considered at length the benefit of sending questions to her and that might happen but it would be a short list. Mr O’Neill had put forward a list of questions already but the coroner said they were not all suitable to put forward and she would rephrase the other ones.

So the majority of the time today was spent with the GP partner reading out her notes or correspondence.
Maeves GP Dr Shelton was a salaried GP and not one of the partners. All of the Drs at the surgery only work part time so to start with Dr Shelton only did two days a week. It sounded like it increased to four but basically no one did five days a week. She has not been working for them for a while now and is off sick (not sure if that was from their practice or another one)

To be fair Dr Shenton sounded like she did what she could. I think the following days will show that the major failings are further up the chain.

thinking I might not be able to listen to every day all day I contacted them to see if there is a schedule of people giving evidence , but was told they cannot share this externally. thinking I might be able to read transcripts if I miss any time I asked if they would be available but was told no they could not be shared either. Note - this is not what the coroners website says so I might challenge it. But it would be good to know it is possible to read them after the event.

 

And that’s the key all the way through, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you read up? The hospital staff, didn’t they read up? The dietician? If you’re contacted by Charles Shepherd, from a Major ME charity, don’t you read up?

 

Channel 4 News segment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsNOhknxo1w

 

There were about half a dozen journalists there today. I'm glad to see these pieces appear--they pretty much capture what happened today. The sound in the courtroom is pretty bad for someone with hearing issues. Even with my hearing aids ramped up, it was very hard to make out full sentences and quotes. Today the coroner had McDermott and others read documents out loud as a way of getting them in the public record. Even with my hearing issues, a lot came through--the heartbreaking notes from the GP, who left practice because of the trauma; the obvious confusion and lack of understanding at the surgery and hospital of what to do and how to address the issues; the efforts by some even within the last couple of months to question whether Maeve might have had a psychiatric problem, etc.

The coroner seemed to have an idea of what she was trying to do in getting all this stuff on the record. Tomorrow I'll listen online with my earbuds while in the courtroom--hopefully that will be better.

 

I wonder what the outcome is likely to be? Is it too much to expect Unlawful Killing? I think so. I guess the Coroner will be looking at a narrative verdict and reporting it to the NHS or Health Secretary?

 

A Daily Mail piece today quotes from a message written by Maeve. I am pasting it here so I know where to find it.

"She had also completed an advanced decisions document about her future treatment if she was unable to communicate her wishes.

In it she wrote: 'I wish to remain at home and be cared for at home in the community. ME/CFS is a diagnosis by elimination, and I have had every test possible all of which, except one, proved negative.

'The positive test was for mitochondrial function in blood (2016). The only recommended and reliable treatment for ME/CFS is complete rest remaining below my anaerobic threshold and pacing every activity.

'I do not seem to have been able to do this despite spending all my time horizontal since January 2021.

'I agree to admission to hospital for treatment only if there are clearly and fully considered reasons ie. hydration and nutrition.

'When I am in hospital, please enable these medications, supplements and dietary needs.

'I have been unable to eat solid food since March 19 2021 having lost the ability to chew.' "

 

Is there any public record of who the witnesses will be for the next 2 weeks or is the public only informed on a daily basis?

 

Thanks! Yes, they told me that. Unfortunately, the loop technology isn't used much in the US, so my hearing aids do not have that softwware program option to allow me to hook into that sound. Many more venues in UK and Europe apparently have the loop technology than in US.

 

Something I have no information on is the outcome for people in this situation who get feeding support. Other than that there appear to be a few people known of who have been maintained on nutritional support for more than a year.