Pill death: Charlotte Foster tragedy to be reported to General Medical Council

Charlotte Grace Foster, of Trinity Mews, Newport, died on January 25 from a blood clot caused by taking the oral contraceptive pill, Dianette.

Senior coroner for Shropshire and Telford, John Ellery, has since decided to send her case to the General Medical Council, after he ruled she would have probably survived if her GP had acted on her symptoms.

Mr Ellery is expected to make a full statement next week about the decision to refer the case surrounding Charlotte's death, after he accepted evidence that symptoms of the pulmonary embolism which killed her were evident when she visited her GP at Wellington Road Surgery, Newport, on January 4.

The inquest, which took place last month, heard Miss Foster's family felt her concerns had not been taken seriously by her GP.

During the inquest, Mr Ellery was told Miss Foster was normally fit and healthy, but was taken ill while working in Muller, in Market Drayton, when she collapsed at work.

She was admitted to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford on January 22 where she died three days later.

Evidence was given from Charlotte's mother, Cecilia Foster, her best friend, Victoria Whelan, and her boyfriend, Alex Pheby, that she had told her GP, Dr Sunil Simon, that she was suffering from back pain, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath, when she attended an appointment on January 4.

However, Mr Ellery said that notes made by her GP, Dr Sunil Simon, showed Miss Foster had presented with lower back pain, which he believed was "muscular in origin". She was told to "get a massage" or have a spa day – but Mr Ellery ruled "he did not make any other note of the symptoms Charlotte had mentioned".

Mr Ellery concluded that Miss Foster died from a hypoxic brain injury caused by a pulmonary embolism as a result of taking the Dianette oral contraceptive pill.