Source · Prevention of Future Deaths

John Lowe

Ref: 2015-0132 Date: 1 Apr 2015 Coroner: Stephanie Haskey Area: Nottinghamshire Responses identified: 0 / 1 View PDF

Nursing staff incorrectly believed 1:1 care could not be provided for falls risk alone, only for mental health needs, regardless of a patient's physical care requirements.

Date 1 Apr 2015
56-day deadline 1 Jun 2015
Responses identified 0 of 1
Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths

Coroner's concerns

AI summary
Nursing staff incorrectly believed 1:1 care could not be provided for falls risk alone, only for mental health needs, regardless of a patient's physical care requirements.
View full coroner's concerns
1. That there was a belief amongst members of the Trust’s nursing staff that they were unable as a matter of policy to provide 1:1 nursing care for a patient in respect of that patient’s falls risk assessment alone, no matter what that assessment might be.
2. That there was a belief amongst members of the Trust’s nursing staff that 1:1 nursing could only be provided on the basis of a patient’s particular mental health needs, and not in respect of his or her physical care needs.

Report sections

Investigation and inquest
The death of John Lowe was subject to an Inquest from 23rd to 25th March 2015.
Circumstances of the death
John Lowe was an inpatient in wards controlled by the Trust for mental health assessment and care following his suffering a stroke on 7th January 2014. He had been transferred to the Trust from medical wards controlled by Nottingham University NHS Trust, where he had been assessed as being at high risk of falls and had been provided with 1:1 nursing as a result of such assessment. Whist on mental health wards in the care of the Trust he suffered a series of falls, the final one of which, on 18th February 2014, caused him to sustain a fractured left neck of femur. This injury made a material contribution to his eventual death from bronchopneumonia on 26th February 2014.

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Report details

Reference
2015-0132
Date of report
1 April 2015
Coroner
Stephanie Haskey
Coroner area
Nottinghamshire

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: 1 Jun 2015.

Sent to

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

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