A NEW probe is being launched into the death of a teenage girl.
Former Warlingham School pupil Georgina Weaver, 19, lost her fight for life in August last year in Redhill's East Surrey Hospital.
It followed prolonged spells of severe headaches, blurred vision and unsteadiness on her feet.
Her parents subsequently learned that Georgina's body had lain in the hospital mortuary for almost a fortnight.
The delay made it "impossible" to carry out a satisfactory post-mortem examination, said Dr Paul Johns, a consultant neuropathologist at St George's Hospital in Tooting.
He said contributory causes of death may have included fluid on the brain and chiari malformation, where the lower part on the brain pushes down on the spinal cord.
Earlier this year the hospital's operators Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust sent Georgina's medical files for a second opinion to Pete Dal Bello, the President of the International Chiari Association, based in California.
This month he told the trust she did indeed have chiari malformation.
And he added: "Decompression surgery would have most likely improved her health."
In response, the trust's medical director Des Holden, said: "This is a very tragic case and we would like to again offer our deepest condolences to Georgina's family for the loss of their daughter.
"We have met with her parents and have been working closely with them to understand her diagnosis."
Mr Dal Bello's review was received on December 1, he said, and they immediately began a review of the case in light of his opinion.
Mr Holden added: "Once our investigation is complete we would welcome another discussion with Georgina's parents to go through our findings."
Georgina's mother Angie, of Limpsfield Road, Warlingham, believes surgery could have prevented her daughter's death.
She said: "If they had found the chiari malformation early on, she may still be here.
"She was admitted to East Surrey Hospital in October and then December 2012, both times with blinding headaches and vomiting.
"Then she was admitted for a third time, last August.
"Within two days she was put on a life support machine, but died two days later."
