Neglect contributed to Woking man's diabetes death, coroner says
- Published
Jake Baker died at his family home in Woking in 2019
Parents who mistook their son's fatal diabetes complications for a stomach bug should have been told to get medical help, a coroner has said.
Surrey coroner Carolyn Topping found that Jake Baker's death was contributed to by neglect on the part of the authorities involved in his care.
The Baker family's solicitor said they hoped lessons would be learned.
The organisations that cared for Mr Baker said changes had been made since his death.
The 18-year-old died on 31 December 2019, when he was found unresponsive by his mother in the early hours of the morning.
Mr Baker had been in the joint care of Surrey County Council since the age of eight, as he needed support for his learning disabilities.
He had been living in a residential college run by Ruskin Mill Trust Group and had come home to Woking for a Christmas visit.
The coroner found his mother and stepfather had not been trained regarding Mr Baker's diabetes.
'He would have survived'
Anna Moore, from law firm Leigh Day, said: "His parents thought he'd caught a tummy bug but those who were supporting him with the diabetes should have said to his parents: 'You need to call an ambulance now.'
"Should that have happened he would have survived."
A council spokesperson said it had improved support for young adults leaving care, but more needed to be done.
They added: "Our deepest sympathies remain with Jake's family and friends at this difficult time.
"The services provided to Jake fell short of what he and his family needed to keep him safe, and we're very sorry for our part in that."
Ruskin Mill Trust Group described Mr Baker's death as "heartbreaking".
A spokesperson said: "We deeply regret that in this instance some key measures that should have been in place for his visit home were overlooked."
They said steps had been taken to "ensure this kind of incident never happens again".
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