47-year-old Cameroon-born mother Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and her 18-year-old daughter Loraine, who had Down Syndrome, were found dead in their Nottingham home months after calling emergency services for help. Alphonsine had previously been admitted to hospital days before her death as she was critically ill with very low iron levels. However, due to Alphosine’s disabled daughter Loraine being “entirely” dependent on her she was given a "pragmatic" hospital discharge on 28 January.
Days later on the 2 February 999, Alphonsine called emergency services and told the handler she needed help for herself and her daughter, she requested: "Would you send an ambulance? Please come, please." A recent inquest heard that an ambulance was never sent after the call was incorrectly labelled “abandoned”.
Nottingham Assistant Coroner Amanda Bewley told the inquest: "I am entirely satisfied that had East Midlands Ambulance Service sent an ambulance when [Alphonsine] called, Loraine would not have died when she died. She would most probably have still been alive today."
The coroner concluded that Alphonsine "more likely than not, died on or after 2 February and before 8 February." She also confirmed that Loraine’s cause of death was dehydration and malnutrition and died weeks after the death of her mother, likely on or after 28 February, when activity was last recorded on her Samsung tablet.
Bewley added: "[there were] missed opportunities, particularly by Nottingham City Council social care teams, to escalate concerns." However, the bodies of the mother and daughter were not found until months after their death, not by a welfare check but a passer-by who raised concerns in May. The coroner's findings were met with “full” acceptance and accountability by all involved, that comes too late to give the family anything other than condolences but that promised to better safeguard other families.
Keeley Sheldon, director of quality at East Midlands Ambulance Service:
"I am truly sorry that we did not respond as we should have to Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and Lorraine Choulla. Our deepest condolences remain with their family… We [have] made changes to our policies, procedures and training to ensure this does not happen in future."
Nottingham City Council also said in as statement:
"We take our responsibilities seriously and have reviewed our procedures to ensure improvements. Our sincere condolences to the families - our thoughts are with them."