A powerful family of Greek shipbrokers have accused the NHS of “negligence” after their heiress daughter died shortly after being sent away from a London hospital.
Marissa Laimou, 28, was found lifeless in her bed by her housekeeper at the apartment where she lived in Knightsbridge on Thursday, September 11.
The heiress had just overcome breast cancer and a rare blood disease in the months before her death.
The Lemos family, one of the biggest stakeholders in the Greek shipping industry, confirmed they will take legal action against the NHS for negligence.
A member of the family told the Daily Mail: “This is 100 per cent negligence. Marissa is gone because of them.
“It would have been nothing to keep her one night. They could have monitored her, given her antibiotics, they would have saved her. She went to the right place for treatment. They should not have let her go.”
Marissa’s family, including her parents and twin brothers, have been plunged into mourning following their loss.
The family also revealed harrowing text messages Marissa sent to a friend while she was being treated, which read: “Nobody is checking up on me, nobody is coming.”
Greek media reported that Marissa began to feel unwell on Monday, September 8 when she developed dizziness, itching, fever and other signs of infection.
A doctor is said to have visited her at home prescribed paracetamol but her condition did not improve.
She saw her oncologist at Leaders in Oncology Care (LOC) on Harley Street, who arranged for her to be sent to another hospital, University College London Hospital (UCLH), by ambulance, reports said.
But family and friends said nurses, rather than doctors, examined her and concluded she did not need to be admitted.
She was discharged in the early evening with antibiotics and a diagnosis that referred to an insect bite, they said.
The following day she was found dead in her bed.
Her mother, Bessy, told Greek media that toxic shock caused by an insect bite killed her, although it is currently unclear which type of insect bit her.
She said: “My daughter had survived cancer and died from an insect.”
She added: “She was a girl with so many gifts, all of England is crying, all her doctors too.”
Friends said Marissa had recently staged a production of Romeo and Juliet in London and was preparing another theatre project.
They described her as talented, modest and devoted to the arts after surviving breast cancer.
The Standard has contacted Leaders in Oncology Care and University College London Hospital for comment.
