A 'loving, hard-working, dedicated' mother-of-three who died following cosmetic surgery may not have been saved by blood-thinning medication, an inquest has concluded.
Louise Harvey, of Calthorpe Road in Norwich, was admitted to hospital 16 days after undergoing a tummy tuck and breast enlargement at the Transform Riverside Hospital in London on June 17, 2018.
The beauty therapist died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on July 5 and her cause of death was reported as a bilateral pulmonary embolism - a blood clot in the lungs.
A five-day inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court in Norwich heard Miss Harvey, 36, was prescribed two doses of blood-thinning prophylactic medication - but the first was given late and the second was missed.
But Yvonne Blake, area coroner for Norfolk, said the evidence showed these incidents did not cause or contribute to her death.
In a statement Miss Harvey's family said the inquest was "emotionally difficult" but they hoped the investigations following her death would raise awareness and save lives.
Tim Deeming of Tees Law, on behalf of the family, said: "Louise was a loving, hard working, dedicated mother, daughter and friend to many and is greatly missed.
"We hope that through such investigations, changes and improvements can and will be made to help raise standards and prevent other families having to go through such tragic circumstances."
READ MORE: Beauty therapist had been on flight days before cosmetic surgeryDespite being considered a high-risk patient and some family history of blood clotting problems, Miss Harvey's inquest heard she was not tested for a clotting disorder before her surgeries.
Consultant plastic surgeon Christopher Stone told the inquest Miss Harvey was at increased risk as she was having two procedures at once and because of the subsequent length of the operation, which lasted just over three-and-a-half hours.
But he said the delayed and missed medication would not have made a difference to her getting a blood clot.
Independent haematologist Prof Charles Hays agreed Miss Harvey was at an increased risk of developing a clot, but accepted that on the balance of probabilities the medication problems did not cause her death.
Ms Blake recorded a narrative conclusion and said she would write a letter to Aurelius Group, which took over the Transform hospitals in an administration process, to express her concerns and suggest the group review its policies around blood clots.
The cosmetic surgery firm involved, Transform, expressed deep sadness at Louise's death, adding: "We have undertaken a full internal investigation, which has been shared with the Coroner and other relevant authorities. Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the patient's family."
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