Did she have to die?

Joseph Shorrock was speaking after an inquest heard that 16-year-old Mary was discharged from hospital just three days before her death from liver failure caused by an overdose of paracetamol.

She died in St James' Hospital, Leeds, waiting for a liver transplant, and Mr Shorrock believes the delay could have been critical.

"I can't help wondering if the extra day might have given us time to find a donor," said Mr Shorrock, of Hindle Street, Darwen. "She was sent home from Blackburn Royal Infirmary with some morphine for the pain she was in.

"I am having difficulty taking it all in but isn't that saying there was something wrong?" said Mr Shorrock. "Shouldn't they have done more tests or something.

"Whatever I think it isn't going to bring Mary back but I suppose I will always wonder what might have happened if the doctor had gone further."

The inquest heard that Mary, of Woodvale Flats, Darwen, went to accident and emergency at Blackburn Royal Infirmary on February 11 suffering from severe abdominal pain. Blood tests showed raised levels of two enzymes.

Home office pathologist Dr Charles Wilson said the levels were not extreme and those and other test results would not necessarily have indicated liver failure. He added that the liver function tests taken two days later showed that Mary's liver was "very, very severely damaged."

But he said that the diagnosis of hepatitis made by Dr Ramila Dattar, who dealt with Mary on February 11, was "entirely reasonable."

Mary's mother, Josephine, said Mary had problems with stomach pains going back a number of years which a specialist had said were related to cysts on her ovaries.

She said that in the three weeks before her death the pains had been far more severe and Mary had been in agony.

She said her daughter would be reduced to tears by the pain for which she had been prescribed Ibuprofen and co-dyaramol. She gave Mary some paracetamol but said these were still in her handbag after her death. After her first visit to hospital Mary had spent the following day at her parents' home in Hindle Street, Darwen. Mrs Shorrock said her daughter spent the day on the settee and at time the pain was so bad it caused her to scream.

She was eventually taken by ambulance to Blackburn Royal Infirmary and was transferred from there to Leeds

Mrs Shorrock said Mary had not displayed any of the symptoms of liver failure outlined by Dr Wilson until late on the afternoon of February 13.

Dr Dattar told the inquest that Mary had not revealed details of the medication she had taken. She had been abusive to the doctor and a nurse had to speak to Mary to calm her down.

Dr Dattar said that after various tests had been carried out she felt that Mary was suffering from hepatitis B and she discharged her to her general practitioner with a recommendation that she have follow up tests a couple of days later.

Dr Dattar said that given the lack of information from the patient about any possible overdose, she thought her treatment was appropriate.

She said there were no signs of paracetamol toxicity and that, even with the benefit of hindsight, she would not have done anything different.

Recording a verdict of misadventure coroner Michael Singleton said he was satisfied that in the three weeks prior to her death Mary had taken a quantity of paracetamol to relieve significant pain.

He said he had considered the fact that Mary was admitted to Blackburn Royal Infirmary just three days before her death.

"I find it significant that Dr Wilson was not able to say that any intervention at that time may have brought about a different outcome," said Mr Singleton.

"As far as the examination and treatment on February 11 is concerned I think it is very easy to be critical with hindsight. Dr Dattar had to deal with the history that was being presented to her, the results of her examination and the results of the tests.

"There is no evidence that she conducted herself in a way that was anything other than appropriate," he added.

Earlier the coroner ruled that claims that Mary had been abducted and assaulted the week prior to her death were not relevant to the inquest.

He said there was no evidence of any injuries and the matter had been fully investigated by the police.

A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospitals Trust which runs BRI said: "This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.

If Mr Shorrock would like to contact the trust we will discuss with him any concerns that he might have."