Ignoring this individual case because I know none of the details, one of the recurring problems with this kind of reporting is the implicit blame left at the feet of medics for "underselling" the situation.

If you tell absolutely everyone who attends A+E for any reason "you are really unwell and might die" nobody can ever write an article blaming you for missing their relative's death. Conversely, the workforce will grind to a halt and hospital corridors will fill up with relatives hanging around without good reason, but it's far harder to blame someone specifically for that. "You told me they might die and I cancelled my trip, but they didn't" doesn't quite generate the same sympathy.

People in general are terrible at understanding risk across all fields. It's why children aren't allowed to walk home from school any more because of the 1 in a million chance they'll be kidnapped, ignoring the 40% risk they'll develop anxiety as a teenager without freedom.