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Coroner Says Bath Seizure Killed 13-Year-Old After Missed Doses

The ruling underscores systemic lapses in medication management alongside water safety.

Overview

  • In April 2026, a coroner delivered a narrative conclusion that Kiara Ainsworth, 13, died after an epileptic seizure in the bath while unsupervised and after missing three doses of her medication.
  • Her family had asked the GP practice for a repeat prescription in the days before her death, the request was handled as routine, and she took her last known dose the day before she died.
  • A hospital consultant’s November 27 instruction to raise her levetiracetam dose was not carried out by the GP due to an administrative error, leaving her on a lower dose for months.
  • The GP practice says it has overhauled how it handles consultant letters, added a pharmacist to ease workload, and completed two audits that found all medication letters now reach pharmacists.
  • Epilepsy nurses had advised showers or supervised shallow baths to cut drowning risk, yet the mother said the shower was broken, while social services records did not note a faulty shower and a final visit days earlier reported mother and daughter were doing well.