A recent coronial inquest into the death of a young mother has ruled that a UK Hospital provided her with “inadequate care”.
Ilona Kazik was only 32 years old when she died following a cerebral haemorrhage just days after the birth of her first child.
The inquest heard that Ms Kazik presented to the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital twice in the 24 hours prior to the birth. Ms Kazik had initially presented to the hospital after midnight of 13 February 2023 after her waters broke at home. Following an examination, Ms Kazik was found to have high blood pressure and a low platelet count. Ms Kazik was provided with medication to reduce her blood pressure before being discharged home to return for a planned induction of labour later that evening.
Ms Kazik then re-presented to the hospital on the afternoon of 13 February complaining of a severe headache. Ms Kazik was again sent home and told to represent that evening for her planned induction of labour. Records detailed that Ms Kazik returned to the hospital at approximately 10:30pm on February 13 for an induction of labour. At this time, Ms Kazik’s blood pressure remained high. It was reported that Ms Kazik continued to suffer from headaches before experiencing blurred vision and vomiting in the hours following her admission to hospital. Ms Kazik eventually became unresponsive, prompting delivery of her son via a caesarean section.
Following the birth, Ms Kazik was rushed to receive specialist care at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Here, Ms Kazik underwent a CT scan, which indicated that she had suffered from a catastrophic cerebral haemorrhage. Tragically, doctors were unable to save her. Ms Kazik was placed on life support, where she remained until she was declared brain dead, with life support ceased on 11 days after the birth. Sadly, Ms Kazik was unable to meet her son before she died. Ms Kazik is survived by her son and husband, who has relentlessly campaigned for answers from the hospital.
A coronial inquest was heard before a Bedfordshire Court from 17 November 2025. During the inquest, coroner Caroline Jones ruled that Ms Kazik died from cerebral haemorrhage and pre-eclampsia of pregnancy. Ms Jones found that there had been a “number of omissions” and “missed opportunities” in Ms Kazik’s care, which had “far reaching consequences”. Ms Jones detailed that the hospital should have categorised Ms Kazik as high risk, and that the care Ms Kazik received had been “inadequate”.
The coroner further detailed that the hospital failed to properly record and distribute details regarding Ms Kazik’s symptoms, which lead to Ms Kazik being classed as “low risk”. Ms Jones found that these failures lead to staff erroneously administering Ms Kazik with ergometrine during labour, which lead to a further increase in her blood pressure. Coroner Ms Jones detailed that “where it is admitted that the deceased should not have received the ergometrine, it is more likely than not that this action more than minimally contributed to the onset of the intracerebral haemorrhage and thus to the death, though it cannot be said overall that her death could probably have been prevented.”
Ms Jones concluded by stating that “the significance of the deceased’s persistent and severe hypertension meant that she was erroneously administered a contraindicated drug which, on the balance of probabilities, played a part in increasing blood pressure on a background of evolving but undiagnosed pre-eclampsia.”
Solicitors acting for the Kazik family note that the inquest highlighted several inadequacies that surrounded Ms Kazik’s care. Daniella Gregory, solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, urged for greater awareness and monitoring of high blood pressure during pregnancy amongst medical professionals. Ms Gregory highlighted the importance of timely treatment for pregnant women experiencing high blood pressure and reiterated that such treatment came too late for Ms Kazik and her family.
Ms Kazik’s family now want to ensure that hospitals learn from Ms Kazik’s horrific outcome and implement ways to prevent further obstetric deaths.
If you are concerned that your blood pressure in pregnancy may not have been properly managed, particularly regarding diagnoses such as pre-eclampsia, you may be entitled to pursue a medical negligence claim. Please get in touch with us for a confidential consultation. Our team can advise you on your legal options and explain how we may be able to help you and your family seek the support and compensation you deserve.