Source · Prevention of Future Deaths

Thomas Curtin

Ref: 2018-0076 Date: 14 Mar 2018 Coroner: Emma Carlyon Area: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Responses identified: 1 / 1 View PDF

Private mental health locked rehabilitation units lack a national framework for referral response times, potentially leaving patients on inappropriate wards and risking their safety.

Date 14 Mar 2018

56-day deadline 11 Aug 2018 est.

Responses identified 1 of 1

Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths Mental Health related deaths

Coroner's concerns

AI summary

Private mental health locked rehabilitation units lack a national framework for referral response times, potentially leaving patients on inappropriate wards and risking their safety.

View full coroner's concerns

At the hearing witnesses from the treating Mental Health Trust advised the court that Mr Curtin was identified as requiring a placement on a locked rehabilitation ward to treat the chronic nature of his illness namely of schizophrenia, with ADHD with harmful misuse of alcohol and and psychoactive substances and to prevent relapse. The majority of such facilities are provided by the private sector Evidence at inquest revealed that public entities of low and medium security facilities were subject to a National NHS England framework concerning the timing of their response to referrals for specialist units_ The evidence at inquest was that private providers of "Locked Rehabilitation Units" were not subject to such a National NHS England framework. This may lead to the risk of future deaths as patients are left on a ward which is inappropriate for their needs while awaiting the private provider's response to a referral.

Responses

1 respondent

NHS England NHS / Health Body

9 May 2018 PDF

Action Planned

NHS England is working with other bodies to improve national-level understanding of CCG commissioned rehabilitation services and support local areas to plan and commission the rehabilitation pathway more effectively, following a CQC report on mental health rehabilitation inpatient services. (AI summary)

View full response

Dear Dr Carlyon, Re: Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths following an inquest concerning the death of Mr Thomas Edward Curtin (20" August 2016) Thank you for your Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths ("Report"_ dated 14th March 2018 concerning the death of Mr Thomas Edward Curtin on August 2016. would like to express my deepest condolences to Mr Curtin's family: Report concludes that Mr Curtin's death was a result of heroin intoxication after absconding whilst on S17 leave from hospital. Following the inquest; you raised a concern in your Report to NHS England regarding the requirement for specialist mental health providers to respond to referrals within a given timeframe Evidence presented at the inquest suggested that this requirement only applies to public provid of low and medium security facilities and not to private providers of 'Locked Rehabilitation Units'. All specialised mental health services' commissioned directly by NHS England, including adult low and medium secure services are commissioned a standardised contract which requires providers to respond to referrals from secondary mental health services within a given timeframe; This requirement applies to both public and private providers of NHS England specialised commissioned care Some specialist mental health services, including specialist mental health rehabilitation services, are the commissioning responsibility of local Clinical Commissioning Groups ("CCG") and therefore are not subject to similar national frameworks requiring set response times. This enables services to be commissioned in response to local population need, local priorities and plans: As such, the contractual requirement t0 respond to referrals within a given time would be determined by the commissioning CCG and therefore subject to local variation; https IIww england nhs uklcommissioninglspec-serviceslnpc-crglgroup-cl High quality care for all, now and for future generations 20t Your lers using

NHS England recognises that there is a significant need to understand local variance in relation to the provision and availability of specialist mental health rehabilitation services nationally to enable improvements in the consistency and quality of care. This need was recently highlighted by the CQC's report, Mental health rehabilitation inpatient services? , published in March 2018, which concluded that there is a wide variation between CCG areas' use of rehabilitation beds: Findings also emphasised a notable difference in clinical continuity where rehabilitation services are independently provided compared with those that are NHS provided; a person is much more likely to be dislocated from their usual care and support network when receiving rehabilitation in an independent provider; often experiencing a longer length of stay further away from home. In response to the report's findings and recommendations, NHS England is working with the relevant Arm's-length bodies ("ALBs") to scope and cost a programme of work focused on specialist mental health rehabilitation: It is likely that this will aim t0 improve national-level understanding of current CCG commissioned rehabilitation services and support local areas to plan and commission the rehabilitation pathway more effectively in future in order to better manage demand and avoid lengthy waits for individuals who need the level of care, treatment and support that an inpatient rehabilitation unit can provide: In developing and confirming scope we will build on recent progress in understanding and supporting areas to address demand and capacity challenges within their local acute mental health systems, towards the ambition of eliminating acute non-specialist out of area placements by 2021. Thank you for bringing these issues to my attention and hope the above response provides you with some assurance that NHS England is taking appropriate action:

Report sections

Investigation and inquest

Mr Thomas Edward Curtin died on August 2016 at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro. He was being held under S3 MHA 1983 at Longreach Hospital, Redruth on an Acute Mental Health Ward. An Inquest was opened on 9h September 2016 and a full inquest hearing with a jury was held on 22, 23 and 26,27th February 2018 at Truro Municipal Building, where the cause of death was determined as Ia) heroin intoxication and the conclusion was found to be a Related Death.

Circumstances of the death

Thomas Curtin was detained under S3 Mental Health Act 1983 at Longreach Hospital, Redruth on an acute mental health ward and was awaiting placement on a locked rehabilitation facility. On 19"h August 2016,he was granted S17 pre-arranged escorted leave to purchase a Game Station from a shop in Camborne. The S17 leave was for one hour with conditions on it to not gamble, or take drugs or alcohol His money was held by the escort: At around 1.00 pm, Mr Curtin was taken by hospital car to the shop and the escort purchased the game station. particular game was not in stock and due to the lack of time the escort advised that game would have to be purchased the next day: Mr Curtin absconded from the shop with the game station and against advice from the escort to return with him to the hospital, Mr Curtin ran off. The hospital and police were informed that he was missing in line with hospital policy at 14.38 pm: Mr Curtin attended 21 Adelaide Street; Penzance to visit its occupants at around 8.00 pm. He visited the chip shop with a male from the house and they returned to the property by taxi at around 9.15 pm_ He told male he had taken heroin and he was seen to be sleeping at around 22.30 pm. The other male went out and returned around 12.30 pm and later found him not breathing: At just before 02.53 am he called for an ambulance and started resuscitation and the paramedic arrived and continued advanced resuscitation and his pulse was regained at 03.20 am He was transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, Truro but despite medical support he was recognized dead at 07.30 am on 20' August 2016 from heroin intoxication_ Mr Curtin was diagnosed with schizophrenia with ADHD with harmful misuse of alcohol and drugs and psychoactive substances. He was not known to use heroin: It was not known when or when or how or with what intention that he took the heroin: Scilly 20"h Truro Drug the the

Expert Psychiatrist noted that: On reviewing the notes it was clear that Mr Curtin had been identified as being at high risk of absconding and a risk to himself and others and for this reason a locked rehabilitation placement was being sought: The view of the treating Psychiatrist was that the benefit of leave outweighed the risk of frustration of no leave and minimized the distress of being on the ward especially given his restlessness from ADHD and his variable presentation. He also accepted that the leave was to build up a therapeutic relationship and to educate Mr Curtin not to gamble_ drink or misuse drugs while in the community. His psychotic symptoms appeared to have been well controlled and the treating team identified that a longer period of rehabilitation in a locked rehabilitation ward was required to avoid relapse. He was awaiting such placement and the process had been started to identify a facility. He considered that it was a challenge to manage Mr Curtin while awaiting the placement and it was a balance between holding him on the acute ward where he was known well or a secure placement whichl Idid not consider appropriate. He considered the acute ward was the appropriate place to hold Mr Curtin pending his placement with a transfer to Harvest Ward if his behavior escalated and there was a need to intervene_

Action should be taken

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and believe you ANDIOR your organisation; have the power to take such action. To take action to reduce the potential for delay in placement of patients due to lack of National framework for response to referrals from private providers_

Similar PFD reports

Shared signals

Report details

Reference: 2018-0076
Date of report: 14 March 2018
Coroner: Emma Carlyon
Coroner area: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Responses identified

Responses identified 1 of 1

All listed responses identified

Organisations named in PFD reports are normally expected to respond within 56 days. Deadline: 11 Aug 2018 (estimated).

Sent to

NHS England

Source links

Judiciary.uk page → Report PDF →

Data: judiciary.uk under OGL.