The inquest into the death of a British woman who died following cosmetic surgery in Turkey has been officially postponed, a coroner's court has heard.
A Tragic Outcome Abroad
Hayley Dowell, 38, suffered fatal medical complications at a private clinic in Istanbul. She had travelled to Turkey with her husband for a combination of procedures, understood to be a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), a tummy tuck, and liposuction. Mrs Dowell passed away on October 3, 2023.
Legal Proceedings Halt UK Inquest
At a hearing at Winchester Crown Court on Monday, November 24, area coroner Nicholas Walker adjourned the inquest. The decision was made due to ongoing criminal and civil cases in Turkey relating to Mrs Dowell's death.
Mr Walker explained to her family that he had received an email from a Turkish lawyer warning of potential prejudice to the foreign proceedings. "I’m mindful that you will unlikely want a criminal or civil investigation in Turkey to be prejudiced by anything I do here," he stated.
The court heard that the Turkish ministry of health is conducting its own investigation, and Mrs Dowell’s widower, Neil Dowell, has brought civil proceedings against the BHT Clinic in Istanbul.
Coroner's Wider Concerns Over Medical Tourism
Coroner Nicholas Walker indicated he has significantly widened the scope of the forthcoming inquest. He expressed deep concern about the trend of British people travelling abroad for elective surgeries.
"I’m concerned for those people in this country who are making decisions with respect to elected procedures that take place in another country and I’m also concerned to consider how informed they are as to those procedures," Mr Walker said.
He added, "I am concerned that people have their eyes open when they commit to surgeries abroad." This concern is underscored by Foreign Office data revealing that at least six British people died in Turkey in 2023 after travelling for medical procedures.
A new date for the inquest into Hayley Dowell's death will be set once more information is available from the Turkish legal proceedings.
