Source · Prevention of Future Deaths

Alan Hodgson

Ref: 2022-0067 Date: 3 Mar 2022 Coroner: Derek Winter DL Area: City of Sunderland Responses identified: 0 / 1 View PDF

Failures in opiate administration, senior doctor review, adherence to established pathways, inter-departmental communication, and continuity of care were compounded by an insufficient internal review process.

Date 3 Mar 2022
56-day deadline 29 Apr 2022
Responses identified 0 of 1
Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths

Coroner's concerns

AI summary
Failures in opiate administration, senior doctor review, adherence to established pathways, inter-departmental communication, and continuity of care were compounded by an insufficient internal review process.
View full coroner's concerns
as follows: –

(1) Signing and administration of opiate analgesia to a patient without any evidence of ascertaining why such analgesia was required, and if it was appropriate;

(2) Failure by the on-call Registrar to review a patient in the early hours of the morning when called for advice by the FY1 doctor;

(3) Failure by a Consultant Physician to follow an established Vascular Pathway despite clearly recognising the correct diagnosis of acute lower limb ischaemia;

(4) Poor communication between medical and radiology doctors resulting in: a) delays in CTA being performed; b) inadequate imaging being performed; and c) a complete lack of urgency in reporting the findings of the CTA to the requesting doctors.

(5) Very poor standard of care in respect of continuity of care; leaving the vascular referral to Sunderland to a very junior doctor on-call who did not even know the patient;

(6) An insufficiently robust review by The Trust of the circumstance leading to the death of Mr Alan Hodgson and of the lessons to be learnt from it, i.e. an insufficient review of the vascular pathway, including its dissemination, awareness and continuous training to improve the importance of the rapid escalation of care against the background of effective communications and handovers between staff to promote holistic patient care.

Report sections

Investigation and inquest
On 16th June 2021 I commenced an Investigation into the death of Mr Alan Hodgson, who was born on 20th January 1959 and died in Sunderland Royal Hospital on 14th January 2021.

The Investigation concluded at the end of the Inquest on 17th February 2022. The medical cause of death was confirmed as: -

Ia Multi Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Ib Ischaemic Colon Ic Severe Vascular Occlusive Disease II COVID 19 Positive
Circumstances of the death
Alan Hodgson died at Sunderland Royal Hospital on 14th January 2021. The severity of his condition had not been recognised despite numerous interactions with him, all of which were compounded by a delay in reporting and acting upon a partial scan.

The Coroner recorded a conclusion of Natural causes contributed to by neglect.
Copies sent to
North East Ambulance ServiceSecretary of State for Health and Social CareCare Quality CommissionRisk and Inquest Manager, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

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Report details

Reference
2022-0067
Date of report
3 March 2022
Coroner
Derek Winter DL
Coroner area
City of Sunderland

Responses identified

Responses identified 0 of 1
1 response not yet linked

Organisations named in PFD reports are normally expected to respond within 56 days. Deadline: 29 Apr 2022.

Sent to

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

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