A coroner has warned about a 19-hour delay in giving time-critical treatment to Barbara Cope, 75, after she died following admission to Rotherham Hospital in June 2025. The delay meant medication for paracetamol toxicity was not administered until the following day, raising concerns that unclear responsibility and communication could put future patients at risk.

Blood tests taken at 16:06 BST on 12 June showed a high paracetamol level, but were not reviewed until 10:00 on 13 June despite Ms Cope’s deterioration and two overnight medical reviews; N-acetylcysteine was given at 12:30, around 19 hours after the result. Ms Cope died from multiple organ failure, acute liver failure and inadvertent paracetamol toxicity, with her death ruled accidental; Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust says it has updated procedures and plans an alert system for critical blood results.