Elizabeth Van Der Drift 

THE death of a “fearless” mother who died from eating a laundry tablet was an “avoidable tragedy” that should lead to tougher product safety regulations, her daughter told the New Journal this week.

Elizabeth Van Der Drift, from Primrose Hill, was rushed to University College Hospital with stomach pains after mistaking a brightly coloured washing pod for a sweet.

The 93-year-old’s dementia meant she often couldn’t remember when she had last eaten, the St Pancras coroner said this week in a report following an inquest on August 1.

Ms Van Der Drift’s daughter Marjolein said: “My mother’s legacy should motivate those in positions of influence to implement stricter regulations to prevent such avoidable tragedies in future, ensuring the most vulnerable are better protected.

“I welcome the coroner’s recommendations following my mother Elizabeth Van Der Drift’s tragic passing and hope that these findings will

lead to meaningful changes in product safety standards for users, including those with dementia.”

In a New Journal obituary in April, Ms Van Der Drift was described as adventure-loving and free-spirited.

She was born in the Netherlands in 1930 and left her hometown to train as a nurse at the age of 17.

She moved to London after becoming enthralled by the city during a trip in the 1960s and worked at different hospitals in the capital, including Elizabeth Garret Anderson, UCLH, and Guy’s and St Thomas’.

Ms Van Der Drift, who lived in Primrose Hill for 40 years, first moved into a flat in Fitzroy Road where she raised her daughter as a single mum.

For the last seven years of her life she lived at Esther Randall Court, an extra-care housing scheme for people over the age of 55 with care and support needs run by Riverside, in Albany Street.

Last week, St Pancras assistant coroner Ian Potter said future deaths could occur if action was not taken to make laundry pods look less like food.

His report stated: “The packaging, in this instance, was predominantly bright pink and white, with orange, yellow and green also present.

One witness – a carer experienced in caring for those living with dementia – gave me her view that the packaging bore more than a passing resemblance to a bag of sweets.

“It has long been acknowledged that products of this nature can pose risks to children; however, there appears to be less acknowledgement of the risks posed to those living with dementia or other forms of cognitive impairment.

“The overarching concern here is that laundry tablets/pods and their packaging are being produced in a way that, by virtue of their bright colouring, appearance, and packaging, are being confused with food by people living with dementia or other cognitive impairment.”

A spokesperson for Riverside said: “We were deeply saddened by the passing of Ms Van Der Drift, a resident of Esther Randall Court for seven years.

“We have sent our condolences to her family and held a remembrance service at the scheme for residents and family.

“After collecting evidence from staff at Esther Randall Court, Ms Van Der Drift’s daughter, her GP, the London Ambulance Service, and one of the doctors at UCLH, this tragic situation was ruled as an accident by the coroner.”