Mum-of-four ‘died of a broken heart’ after family court hearing

SWNS_GASCOIGNE_INQUEST_02.jpg

A mum-of-four who collapsed after an emotional family court hearing “died of a broken heart”, an inquest heard.

Hayley Gascoigne’s sudden death at Hull Combined Court Centre was due to natural causes, a coroner has concluded this afternoon.

The 32-year-old collapsed in the public waiting area following a distressing family court hearing — and medical experts told HM Senior Coroner Professor Paul Marks that “broken-hearted syndrome” is becoming more recognised, reports GrimsbyLive .

The former Grimsby College student, from Scunthorpe, had no idea she was suffering from “silent killer” hypertensive heart disease.

Professor Marks had earlier asked emergency medicine consultant Dr Francis Morris whether “emotional upset – clearly Hayley was very disturbed and distressed — whether that can precipitate, in a vulnerable individual (with hypertensive heart disease), a cardiac disrhythmia”.

Dr Morris had replied: “We are increasingly recognising ‘broken-hearted syndrome’. People, simply through emotional distress, can have a cardiac event.”

Hayley had collapsed on January 26 last year after listening to a ruling over a family legal battle.

On the opening day of the inquest yesterday Gary Long, the first paramedic on the scene, admitted making mistakes and forgetting kit which could have been used to treat her.

Further evidence was heard as the inquest resumed today, with the coroner concluding he had not found any failings of Yorkshire Ambulance Service but would write to Her Majesty’s Court Service regarding defibrillators at the court centre.

Dr Morris, consultant in emergency medicine in Sheffield, told the inquest that having a defibrillator in a place such as a court, where there might be people stressed, was a good idea. In his evidence yesterday, Mr Long had said Hayley had a shockable heart rhythm but he “did not recognise it” at the time.

Paramedic Joanne Houghton attended the incident with her colleague David Hinchliffe.

Ms Houghton said she has been a paramedic for eight years and is based in the Yorkshire area and said they received a call on the day saying a woman was “fitting”.

Professor Marks asked Ms Houghton if she agreed that establishing what rhythm the heart is is “pivotal” to treatment. She said “yes”.

Ms Houghton said Hayley should have been shocked straight away and said the significance of getting the rhythm wrong is “massive”. — AP

You Might Also Like

Comments