Jury to hear inquest into student's meningitis death

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 07:02 · Archive

A jury will hear the inquest into the death of Pontypool student Megan Draper, 18, who died of meningitis in her first term at Bournemouth University.

A jury will hear the full inquest into the death of Megan Draper, an 18-year-old student from Pontypool who died of meningitis on 29 October 2025 during her first term studying physiotherapy at Bournemouth University. At a pre-inquest review hearing in Bournemouth, coroner Brendan Allen ruled that a jury hearing is mandatory when someone dies of a notifiable disease. He said: "It's a matter of law if there is reason to suspect someone died of a notifiable disease then it's mandatory and I am satisfied this inquest must be heard with a jury."

The scope of the inquest will cover Ms Draper's contact with the NHS 111 service, triage carried out at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, her out of hours treatment and her admission to Southmead Hospital in Bristol. The inquest will also examine whether her death was preventable. Mr Allen asked Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, which operates the non-emergency NHS 111 service in the area, to provide a statement covering Ms Draper's call and call-handling procedures. The inquest has a provisional starting date of 19 July 2027.

How it is being reported

• Jury to look at whether 18-year-old student's meningitis death ‘was preventable’A jury will hear the inquest into the death of Pontypool student Megan Draper, 18, and consider whether the meningitis death could have been preventedSouth Wales Argus · 20 Oct, 06:15
• Jury inquest to be held after Pontypool student died weeks into university courseMegan Draper has been described by her parents as a kind, caring, and outgoing 18-year-old before her sudden death in October 2025WalesOnline · 19 Oct, 12:14

In this story: Megan Draper · Pontypool · Bournemouth University · Brendan Allen · Royal Bournemouth Hospital · Southmead Hospital · Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust

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