The Southwark Coroner Court was informed that the patient suffered from lupus profondus, which is a type of skin disorder. This condition destroys fat cells under the skin, and it left Soanes with an abnormally scarred and thin face.

Coroner Dr. Andrew Harris handed over a decision of death by natural causes and from acute respiratory failure initiated by the embolism. He stated that nothing could have kept the patient from dying, despite the delay in her treatment. The patient lived in Norwich. However, Dr. Harris disclosed that he is now thinking about informing St Thomas' Hospital about its care of the outpatients. He stated,

My concern is it simply doesn't seem acceptable that someone who falls critically ill in a hospital has poorer access to emergency treatment than someone outside hospital.

Linda Cooper, a nurse from the patient at-risk team of the hospital, mentioned that she was first informed about Soanes at 12 pm. However, she said that the patient was in the dermatological outpatients unit, which is away from the main hospital, and that she was not admitted into the intensive care unit until about 2 pm.

Sebastian Lucas, a pathologist professor, stated that it was one of the first instances of fat tissue embolism he had seen in the last 30 years. He said,

Once the fat got into the lungs there was nothing anyone could have done. It happened within seconds.

The Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust showed its "heartfelt sympathy" to the family of the patient. In a statement submitted, the foundation added that it had fully cooperated with the investigations of the case and will deal with any further concerns.