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Coroner Warns of Deaths Due to Undiagnosed Encephalitis
12 Feb
Summary
- A 12-year-old girl died after a rare brain disorder was left undiagnosed.
- Coroner warns of future deaths due to lack of national diagnostic guidance.
- Failures in diagnosis and self-harm response contributed to the tragedy.
A coroner has issued a stark warning regarding the risks of future deaths due to the undiagnosed autoimmune encephalitis, a rare brain disorder.
This warning follows the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl in January 2026, who was found unresponsive at an NHS psychiatric unit. The inquest revealed that autoimmune encephalitis, a treatable condition causing severe psychiatric symptoms, had not been diagnosed prior to her death.
Jury findings suggested that the failure to perform a lumbar puncture at Queen's Medical Centre potentially contributed to her death. Additionally, the Becton Centre was found to have inadequately responded to her risk of self-harm.
Her mother expressed distress over the supervision and the lack of transparency regarding her daughter's self-harm attempts. Both Queen's Medical Centre and Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust have issued apologies and outlined steps taken following the incident.
