Bethany Shipsey: Experts disagree over diet pill death

Experts at the inquest of Bethany Shipsey disagreed over whether "fuller" hospital care would have helped her survive

A woman who died after taking an overdose of diet pills may have survived if her hospital treatment had been better, an expert told an inquest.

Another professor however, told the hearing Bethany Shipsey's symptoms meant she would not have lived.

Ms Shipsey, 21, of Worcester, died after taking the pills containing the substance DNP in February 2017.

Coroner Geraint Williams said he would write to the government calling for the substance to be outlawed.

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He said DNP was one of the most "extremely toxic" drugs he had encountered.

On the third day of the hearing at Worcester Coroner's Court, Dr Iain McIntryre said Ms Shipsey "may" have lived had she got different treatment at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Dr McIntryre, a drugs expert from USA, said that "fuller, more efficient" treatment at the hospital could have kept her alive.

He told coroner Mr Williams "effective treatment is more likely than not, to end up with a favourable outcome".

He said Ms Shipsey had eight milligrams of DNP in her blood, which he said was "low" compared with some other patients who survived "significantly" higher readings.

Earlier, the hearing was told Ms Shipsey was taken from a monitoring ward, despite notes saying she should not be moved

But Prof Simon Thomas, from Newcastle University, said it was "more likely than not" that Ms Shipsey would have died, given the fast onset of her symptoms.

He said it was "speculation" she may have lived and said the drug was highly unpredictable.

But he added: "There was no real understanding that she was in a life-threatening situation. Decisions that were taken suggest they didn't understand about the extreme toxicity of DNP."

Earlier in the five-day hearing, it was revealed the hospital was overcrowded when Ms Shipsey was brought in.

The inquest is expected to last for a further two days.