'We can never forgive the NHS': Family of Luke Abrahams release emotional statement after coroner records narrative conclusion

On the fourth and final day (Friday, January 23) of the inquest into the death of 20-year-old Luke Abrahams, coroner Sophie Lomas recorded a narrative conclusion, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to find that neglect contributed to his death.

The coroner also considered whether there had been a gross failure to render basic care, focusing on the decision by East Midlands Ambulance Service not to convey Luke to hospital on January 20. She said Luke was in a dependent position and that paramedics had spent a significant amount of time with him and carried out a number of checks and examinations.

She said the evidence showed there were red flags that should have prompted further investigation, including pain and low blood glucose levels, which were described as basic warning signs. The coroner said this failure was capable of amounting to a gross failure to render basic care.

The coroner ruled that a short-form conclusion of natural causes would not fully reflect the circumstances of the case. She recorded a narrative conclusion instead, stating that Luke died from Lemierre’s disease, a rare condition which initially presented as a sore throat and progressed over the course of a week to a septic embolism. This travelled through his bloodstream into his soft tissue and muscles, where it developed into necrotising fasciitis.

Luke, from East Hunsbury, died at Northampton General Hospital on January 23, 2023, after first complaining of a sore throat a week before his death, which later led to sepsis and then necrotising fasciitis – a rare but life-threatening infection often described as a “flesh-eating disease”.

Today also marks the third anniversary of Luke’s death.

Following the conclusion of the inquest, Luke’s family released the following statement.

Luke’s dad Richard, on behalf of the family, said: “Today is the third anniversary since Luke passed. Little did we know that that was just the beginning of our nightmare.

“We have had to fight every minute of every day since then to get to the truth, to get answers. We even had to fight for this inquest, the hospital having told the coroner that Luke died of natural causes. We can never forgive the NHS for letting Luke down. He should still be here today. And we can never forgive them for the way they have treated us ever since, having to drag the truth out of them with the help of our barrister Layla Benyounes and solicitor Elizabeth Maliakal at Hudgell solicitors. We are so grateful to them for all their help and support.

“Three years on, the pain has not eased. Time is not a healer. If anything, it has deepened. Luke should still be alive, living his life, playing football, laughing with his friends, planning his future. Instead, we are left with an absence that never goes away.

“What makes Luke’s death even harder to bear is knowing that it did not have to happen. Had he been taken to hospital and received appropriate treatment at the right time, Luke would still be with us today. That is what the evidence has shown. A fit, healthy 20-year-old boy does not simply die like this. Not in a modern country with well-developed medical facilities. It is simply not good enough and they have left a shattered broken family in their wake.

“Luke was badly let down by the NHS and our family is forced to live with the consequences of that failure for the rest of our lives. Our hearts are broken. Every day is a struggle. Some days it feels almost impossible to keep going, but we do, for Luke, and for his wonderful brother, Jake, who has lost not just a sibling but his best mate.

“Luke was an extraordinary young man. He was popular, friendly, funny, and deeply loved. Football was his passion, but people were his strength. He brought joy wherever he went, and he had so much to give. We miss him each and every day, in big ways and in small ways, in the silence, in the milestones he will never reach, in the future that was taken from him and us.

“Sitting through this inquest has been harrowing. Hearing, in detail, how Luke could have been saved, how he should have been saved, is the most painful experience imaginable for any parent. Luke came down with what seemed like nothing more than a sore throat. Like we all do in winter. But, within a week, just one week, he was dead. All the evidence we have heard this week points to the same devastating conclusion: with proper recognition and timely treatment, Luke would still be alive.

“When mistakes are made in the NHS, the consequences can be fatal. Lives are lost. Families are destroyed. That cannot simply be dismissed as ‘one of those things’. There must be accountability. There must be justice for Luke. And there must be meaningful learning, so that awareness of rare but deadly conditions like Luke’s is improved and so that no other family has to endure the pain we now carry every day. We will not stop campaigning until we are sure those lessons are well and truly learned.

“We are grateful to the coroner for the thoroughness of her investigation and for helping us to get the answers that we should have had a long time ago.

“Now, as we reach the end of this inquest, we are left to find a way to go on living, carrying Luke with us in everything we do. We will continue to do the best we can, to honour his memory, and to live our lives in a way that would make him proud. But nothing will ever change the simple truth that Luke should still be here, and our lives will never be the same without him.”

Speaking to Luke's friends and family, coroner Sophie Lomas said: “My sincere condolences. I know how difficult this process has been, not just this week, but the journey of getting here. You have all represented Luke with determination and dignity, and you should be very proud of that.

"It is particularly poignant that today is the anniversary of Luke’s death. His mum told me about his love for life, and I hope you have the opportunity today to reflect together and share some happier memories of him. I would like to finish by offering my sincere condolences to you all.”

Keeley Sheldon, Director of Quality at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “I am deeply sorry that we missed the opportunity to take Luke to hospital on 20 January 2023. We failed to provide the level of care he deserved.

“My condolences are with Luke's family and all who loved him, particularly today on the third anniversary of his tragic death.

“An investigation was completed in 2023, including actions we took at that time. This was shared with Luke’s family, including our sincere apologies.

“We fully accept the findings of HM Coroner and will review them with careful consideration, to identify further steps we can take to prevent this happening again."

Earlier in the inquest, the medical boss and a surgeon at Northampton General Hospital apologised for not contacting Luke’s parents sooner. An ambulance boss also said Luke should have been told to go to hospital sooner and an out-of-hours doctor said Luke was incorrectly diagnosed.