Emily Chesterton’s 32nd Birthday Charity GoFundMe

My name is Brendan Chesterton and I am the father of Emily Chesterton who passed away on 8th November 2022. Emily was 30 years old when she died of a pulmonary embolism after being misdiagnosed on two occasions when she visited her local GP practice in Crouch End.

Emily had been under the impression that she was seeing a doctor when she had in fact been seeing a Physicians Associate (PA) The PA failed on both occasions to spot Emily’s leg pain was in fact a blood clot which ultimately travelled to her lungs and instead prescribed her medication for anxiety.

At the inquest the coroner in her summing up said that:

‘She should have been immediately referred to a hospital emergency unit. If she had been on either occasion, the likelihood is that she would have been treated for pulmonary embolism and would have survived’.

Last year we started a GoFundMe to raise money for two charities close to Emily’s heart, Mind and Headstrong. We raised £5070 which was split equally between the two.

This year to celebrate and commemorate what would have been her 32nd birthday we are again raising money for charity.

The charities are:

WaterAid - the national charity that aims to help bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere.

Child of Mine - A local charity that aims to help families with emotional support, practical information and guidance after a baby or child has died

Nothing can replace our beautiful, kind, empathic, sensitive, loving and talented daughter. Her death has left a massive hole in our lives that nothing can fill. All we can hope for is that by raising awareness of the use of PAs in the NHS and supporting charities we can honour her memory and prevent it from happening to others.

Raising Awareness of the use and regulation of PAs on the NHS

To this end since her death Marion and I have been campaigning to bring the issue of much needed regulation to the public eye.

This is a list of some to the ways we have tried to raise awareness of this issue:

• Approached our local Labour MP, Barbara Keeley (now retired) who won an adjournment debate in the House of Commons and was able to put direct questions to the minister about the use of PAs. We also met the with the then Conservative Health minister to put our views to him directly

• Interviewed for the Sunday Times health section

• Had articles published in the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Manchester Evening News

• Were interviewed for Sky News

• Marion interviewed on BBC NorthWest tonight

• Interviewed on Good Morning Britain by Suzzanna Reid and Ed Balls

• Marion interviewed on BBC Radio Today show

• Marion interviewed in the Sunday Mail 14/07/2024. Re: Use of PAs being used to stand in for doctors’ shifts

• Marion invited to address the BMA (British Medical Association) on the occasion of the launch their published guidelines for the use of PAs

• Meeting with Charlie Massey Chief Executive of the (GMC) General Medical Council (upcoming on 17th July 2024)

Emily’s Story

Emily was born in Salford in 1992, she went to Walkden High School and Eccles College. Later she attended Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA), the college set up by Sir Paul McCartney. Later she won a bursary to the Royal Academy of Music in London (RAM) Emily appeared in several productions after this, singing songs from South Pacific at the Barbican Centre, appearing at the Edinburgh Festival for three seasons. She also performed at the Liverpool Royal Court Theatre in a Production of ‘Shout: The Mod Musical’, and in a production of ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ at Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre.

We are setting the goal of £3200 to represent her 32nd birthday on the 14th October. Please give generously.

Thank you, Brendan and Marion Chesterton