Overview

• Penny Stevens died in December 2022 from Group A Strep sepsis after going into cardiac arrest shortly after a return to hospital, despite 80 minutes of resuscitation attempts.
• The Patient Safety Investigation by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust found the sepsis screen recorded signs that should have prompted an urgent review and concluded escalation was missed.
• At her first A&E visit, the department was described as overwhelmed, triage was delayed beyond the 15‑minute target, she was classed as low priority, and records incorrectly noted no lethargy or irritability.
• Her mother, Jemma Graham, has instructed Irwin Mitchell to pursue a medical negligence claim and says the focus is on systemic failings and lessons to prevent similar deaths.
• The Daily Mail reports the trust has apologized through its chief nurse, and it notes an earlier inquest recorded a conclusion of natural causes.