Family hope for answers over death of woman, 24, who suffered ectopic pregnancy

The family of a woman who died after suffering an undiagnosed ruptured ectopic pregnancy say they hope an inquiry into her death will bring them answers.

Hannah McInally died at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on November 23, 2021, following complications from the pregnancy.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry is to take place into the 24-year-old’s death, with a preliminary hearing held at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday.

The probe will look at the adequacy of healthcare provided by NHS Grampian and NHS 24.

In a statement following the hearing, Ms McInally’s family said they have “always believed there were failings at NHS Grampian that directly contributed to her death”.

In a statement via law firm Digby Brown, they said: “Hannah was a kind, clever, beautiful and contagiously happy young woman and her untimely loss continues to be felt by everyone who knew her.

“We have always believed there were failings at NHS Grampian that directly contributed to her death and, to us, the mere existence of an FAI confirms there to be truth in this, and it’s now simply an exercise in publicly disclosing what went wrong and why.

Hannah Mcinally McInally Family/Digby Brown

“It is therefore with much anticipation we now await the health board’s evidence because, to date, we feel like it has failed to fully answer all our questions that we believe would help us understand, grieve and move forwards.

“Our thanks go to those who have supported us since Hannah’s passing but for the duration of the FAI we request our privacy is respected so we can give it our full attention and process things in our own time.”

During a preliminary hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday, fiscal depute Alan Morrison confirmed Ms McInally’s partner, Scott Strachan, will be among those giving evidence.

He also used the short hearing to outline the three main areas the inquiry will be looking into.

The first is the call to NHS 24 in relation to Ms McInally’s condition on November 11, 2021, and “whether that was dealt with appropriately and reasonably by NHS 24”.

Secondly, the inquiry will examine the assessment of two Grampian health board out-of-hours doctors in relation to Ms McInally.

Thirdly, it will look at the measures taken by the health board and NHS 24 following Ms McInally’s death, and “whether they might realistically prevent death in the future”.

A further preliminary hearing will take place in three months.

Andy Shanks, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, previously said: “The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Hannah McInally occurred in circumstances giving rise to serious public concern and as such a discretionary FAI should be held.

“The lodging of the first notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the sheriff.

“Hannah’s family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.”