Baby died from meningitis after staff attributed symptoms to Covid, inquest finds

Jury concludes neglect contributed to death of five-month-old Esta High at Leeds General Infirmary

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Updated20 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Sources3 outlets

A five-month-old baby girl who died from meningitis might have survived if doctors had tested her for the infection sooner rather than putting her symptoms down to Covid, an inquest jury has found. Esta High died at Leeds General Infirmary in November 2023, days after being taken to the emergency department with a high temperature and vomiting. The jury concluded that her death was contributed to by neglect.

An inquest jury of five women and six men at Wakefield coroner's court found that Esta High died from streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis and that opportunities were missed when doctors stuck with a diagnosis of Covid. The baby had tested positive for coronavirus, and the inquest heard that vital chances to test for a bacterial infection and start antibiotic treatment were missed.

Esta's parents, Lynsey Carr and Leon High, told the inquest that their concerns were ignored until it was too late. Carr said she and her partner refused advice from doctors to take Esta home, as she would not stop vomiting and had a temperature of over 40C. She said her daughter developed a rash and her arm started shaking, which she feared was a seizure. "We were extremely worried" and "kept asking for help", Carr told the jury, but "staff were rude and don't listen to our concerns".

Carr described the family's 15 hours on the children's assessment and treatment unit as "filled with missed opportunities", adding that she believed staff were more concerned with isolating Esta due to the Covid risk than listening to her parents. By late afternoon on 2 November, Esta was unresponsive, and scans showed evidence of meningoencephalitis and streptococcus pneumoniae. She was taken to intensive care but died on 6 November. "Unfortunately, as our daughter had been left untreated for 55 hours, it was too late to save our darling girl," Carr told the inquest.

In a statement read by her solicitor outside court, Carr said: "Making the decision on the advice of the intensive care staff to withdraw Esta's life support broke us. Esta passed away lying between me and Leon – something no parent should ever have to go through." She added: "Parents know their children better than anyone, and when they say something isn't right they need to be listened to and taken seriously."

Solicitor Joe Haley of Irwin Mitchell said: "It's now vital that lessons are learned to help improve patient safety and prevent others from going through the terrible suffering Esta's family has endured."

Dr Elizabeth Garthwaite, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are deeply sorry that we failed Esta and her family, and offer our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Lynsey and Leon following the tragic death of their daughter." She added: "We recognise that serious failures occurred in the care provided to Esta and that these failures had devastating consequences." She said the trust would carefully consider the coroner's report and recommendations.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The case highlights the danger of confirmation bias in emergency care, where a positive Covid test may have led clinicians to dismiss other serious possibilities.
It underscores the importance of listening to parents' concerns, especially when symptoms persist or worsen.
The inquest finding of neglect could prompt changes in how NHS trusts triage and treat young children with fever and vomiting, even when they test positive for common viruses.

Background

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, often caused by bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial meningitis, such as that caused by streptococcus pneumoniae, can be fatal if not treated promptly with antibiotics. During the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, healthcare systems have faced pressure to isolate and manage patients with the virus, but standard protocols for fever in infants include ruling out bacterial infection. This inquest examined the care given to Esta High at Leeds General Infirmary in November 2023.

Key Perspectives

Parents (Lynsey Carr and Leon High): They argue that doctors focused on Covid to the exclusion of other diagnoses, ignored their repeated concerns, and failed to test for or treat bacterial infection in time. They want lessons learned so no other family endures the same loss.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: The trust has apologised unreservedly, acknowledged serious failures in Esta's care, and committed to acting on the coroner's recommendations to improve patient safety.

Medical and patient safety advocates: The case reinforces calls for better training in differential diagnosis and for protocols that prevent a single test result from narrowing clinical judgment, especially in paediatric emergency care.

What to Watch

The coroner's formal report and any specific recommendations for changes in NHS triage or infection management guidelines.
Whether Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust implements new procedures for assessment of febrile children who also test positive for common viruses.
Possible further action by regulators or the Care Quality Commission if systemic issues are identified.

Sources

Baby who died from meningitis may have been saved if tested sooner, inquest finds · World news | The Guardian
Baby who died from meningitis may have been saved if tested sooner, inquest finds · UK news | The Guardian
Neglect in hospital contributed to baby's meningitis death, jury rules · Sky News UK

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

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SupportedThe inquest found that Esta died from meningitis after doctors attributed her symptoms to Covid.World news | The Guardian: “A baby girl who died from meningitis may have been saved if doctors had tested her for the infection sooner, rather than putting her symptoms down to Covid, an inquest jury has found.”
SupportedThe jury concluded that neglect contributed to the death of five-month-old Esta High.World news | The Guardian: “Five-month-old Esta High died at Leeds General Infirmary in November 2023”
SupportedEsta might have survived if doctors had tested for meningitis sooner rather than attributing her symptoms to Covid.World news | The Guardian: “A baby girl who died from meningitis may have been saved if doctors had tested her for the infection sooner, rather than putting her symptoms down to Covid, an inquest jury has found.”
SupportedThe jury found that Esta died of streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis and that opportunities were missed while doctors stuck with a Covid diagnosis.World news | The Guardian: “She had tested positive for coronavirus, and so opportunities were missed when doctors stuck with a diagnosis of Covid, the inquest found. Esta died from streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis”
SupportedEsta died at Leeds General Infirmary in November 2023, days after being taken to the emergency department with a high temperature and vomiting.World news | The Guardian: “Five-month-old Esta High died at Leeds General Infirmary in November 2023, days after she was taken into the emergency department with a high temperature and vomiting.”
SupportedThe inquest jury at Wakefield coroner’s court had five women and six men.World news | The Guardian: “On Tuesday, an inquest jury of five women and six men concluded”
SupportedCarr said she and her partner refused doctors’ advice to take Esta home because she kept vomiting and had a temperature over 40C.World news | The Guardian: “Carr said she and her partner had refused advice from doctors to take Esta home, as she would not stop vomiting and had a temperature of over 40C.”
SupportedCarr told the jury, “We were extremely worried” and “kept asking for help”.World news | The Guardian: “She told the jury “we were extremely worried” and “kept asking for help””
SupportedCarr said, “staff were rude and don't listen to our concerns”.World news | The Guardian: ““staff were rude and don’t listen to our concerns””
SupportedCarr said Esta had been left untreated for 55 hours and that it was too late to save her.World news | The Guardian: ““Unfortunately, as our daughter had been left untreated for 55 hours, it was too late to save our darling girl,” Carr told the inquest”
SupportedCarr said, “Parents know their children better than anyone, and when they say something isn't right they need to be listened to and taken seriously.”World news | The Guardian: ““Parents know their children better than anyone, and when they say something isn’t right they need to be listened to and taken seriously.””
SupportedDr Elizabeth Garthwaite said the trust was deeply sorry it had failed Esta and her family.World news | The Guardian: ““We are deeply sorry that we failed Esta and her family, and offer our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Lynsey and Leon following the tragic death of their daughter.””