Scan 'would have saved young mum's life'

Rochelle Lyle was not given a CT scan, which could have detected bleeding on the brain

A young mother and her premature baby would not have died if a CT scan had been conducted when she was admitted to hospital, a coroner has ruled.

Rochelle Lyle, 26, went to hospital in Bedfordshire when she was 26 weeks pregnant suffering from a headache on 20 March 2017.

Coroner for Bedfordshire Emma Whitting said the Luton and Dunstable Hospital failed to detect bleeding on the brain.

Ms Lyle's family said it was considering suing the hospital.

Ms Lyle was a psychology graduate

The inquest heard that when Ms Lyle was admitted to hospital she was treated for suspected sepsis, but not given a CT or MRI scan or seen by a neurologist.

The psychology graduate, from Luton, was found unresponsive in her hospital bed on 25 March having suffered a heart attack.

An emergency Caesarean section was carried out after a delay of six minutes because a scalpel could not be found.

A CT scan was then performed and revealed an abnormality in Ms Lyle's brain.

Her father Laurie Lyle paid tribute to her after the inquest

She was rushed to the specialist neuroscience unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where she died the next day.

Imaani died six weeks' later at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital in the arms of her grandfather Laurie Lyle.

Recording a narrative verdict, Ms Whitting said the deaths of Ms Lyle and Imaani would not have occurred had a neurological observation taken place.

She said Ms Lyle's initial symptoms were not recognised and, as a result, were untreated.

Dr Bright Gyampoh, the clinical director for obstetrics at the hospital, apologised on behalf of the hospital to Ms Lyle's family.

After the hearing, Mr Lyle said: "Rochelle was a bright, bubbly, vivacious, caring, intelligent and popular person, who was loved by all of her family, friends and associates.

"This double tragedy, two lives taken from us ridiculously early, have totally devastated us as a family in way that few people can ever begin to comprehend."