Barry Fullarton

PFD Report All Responded Ref: 2019-0159
Date of Report 17 May 2019
Coroner Andre Rebello
Response Deadline ✓ from report 12 July 2019
All 1 response received · Deadline: 12 Jul 2019
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
Mental health assessments must account for the diurnal nature of reactive depressive illness, as an assessment at a good mood time may invalidate findings when mood is low.
View full coroner's concerns
The MATTERS OF CONCERNS are as follows: Those carrying out mental health assessments should have regard to how a mental disorder manifests in a patient. In this case, the diurnal nature of the reactive depressive illness was evident from the medial records such that an assessor could have documented that the assessment at a particular time when mood was good may not be valid when in low mood.
Responses
Cheshire and Wirral NHS Trust NHS / Health Body
8 Jul 2019
Action Planned
The Trust will develop and share a learning bulletin to outline the importance of responding to assessments for DMV, to be circulated to clinical teams by the end of July 2019. This learning will also be shared at a Trustwide Grand Round in September 2019 and included in the Suicide Prevention Training. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Mr Rebello Re: Regulation 28 Report_Barry Marshall Fullarton acknowledge receipt of your Regulation 28, dated 17 2019, which was sent following the conclusion of the inquest into the death of Mr Fullarton: You have asked for the Trust' s response to the areas of concern raised within this report, to detail the proposed actions to be taken by the Trust along with the timetable for these actions. The area of concern highlighted in your report is as follows: Those carrying out mental health assessments should have regard to how a mental disorder manifests in a patient In this case, the diurnal nature of the reactive depressive illness was evident from the medial records such that an assessor could have documented that the assessment at a particular time when mood was good may not be a valid when in low mood. Diurnal mood variation (DMV) is considered prominent symptom of depression, as such, this is part of the training that our clinicians receive_ This training includes the importance of diagnosing depression and gaining an understanding about a person s sleep patterns and changes in mood over the course of the This training helps to assess for and differentiate between the different symptoms of depression. It may not always be possible to offer appointments at different times of the day, however, given the concerns you have shared, we plan to use your helpful feedback as learning: As such, the Trust will provide further guidance to our staff regarding ways that can consider facilitating appointments at different times of the through the following actions: We will develop share learning bulletin to outline the importance of responding to assessments for DMV, and include the consideration as to whether people should and could be seen at different times This will be circulated to all our clinical teams by the end of July 2019. This will be sent directly to all staff, and will also be included in governance and team meetings. There is a Trustwide Grand Round for all clinicians in September 2019, where this learning and feedback will be shared Helping people to be the best can be May day: they day, they

We produce a Trustwide Learning from Experience report three times a year; in which we plan to summarise this learning as part of that report; confirm the above actions, and follow-up their completion. The next edition, which covers the time period April July 2019, will be presented at our Trustwide Quality Committee in September 2019. This will ensure oversight of the delivery of the actions we have stated above. The Suicide Prevention Training will also be adapted to include DMV when teaching around depression and Mental State Examination. would like to assure you that as a Trust, we have taken the matters outlined within your report extremely seriously, and that we remain committed to ensuring that we continuously review and learn to help us to improve the care that we provide to people accessing our services.
Sent To
  • Cheshire and Wirral NHS Trust
Response Status
Linked responses 1 of 1
56-Day Deadline 12 Jul 2019
All responses received
About PFD responses

Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.

Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 20/12/2018 I commenced an investigation into the death of Barry Marshall Fullarton aged 79. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 17 May 2019. The conclusion of the inquest was: Barry Marshall Fullerton died by Suicide, when suffering from a reactive depressive illness, which affected his mood in the morning. The Cause of death was: I a Multiple injuries I b--------------------- I c -------------------- II ---------------------
Circumstances of the Death
On the 17th December 2018 at 9.05 Barry Marshall Fullerton was certified as having died beneath the balcony of his bedroom at , West Kirkby. There was a chair placed on the balcony above. It is found that he used this intentionally to fall over the balcony with fatal intent. In October 2018, Mr Fullarton had suffered a stroke which was more likely than not the cause of a reactive depressive illness which included a significant diurnal variation in mood (low mood in the morning and normal affect in the afternoon). The depressive illness manifested in thoughts of intentional self-harm and suicide. On the 14th December 2018, Barry Fullerton underwent a mental health assessment. This took place in an afternoon and he was assessed as being safe to go home. He was on anti-depressant medication (found present in post-mortem toxicology) but he had declined to engage in an assessment of appropriate psychological therapy plan. It is unclear as to whether a mental health assessment in a morning would have assessed different needs.
Action Should Be Taken
7 YOUR RESPONSE You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by 12 July 2019. I, the coroner, may extend the period. Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed. 8 COPIES and PUBLICATION I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested Persons Mr Fullarton’s family. I am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response. The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your response about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner. Andre REBELLO Senior Coroner for Liverpool and Wirral Dated: 17 May 2019
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.