Keith Heatley

PFD Report All Responded Ref: 2019-0478
Date of Report 26 February 2019
Coroner Ian Boyes
Response Deadline ✓ from report 23 April 2019
All 1 response received · Deadline: 23 Apr 2019
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
There was a lack of documented multidisciplinary decision-making and policy guidance regarding leave for informal patients, coupled with inconsistent recording of MDT meetings and no clinical review before high-risk patient leave.
View full coroner's concerns
is not suggested Mr Heatley passed away as result of any other cause
Responses
Swansea Bay Health Board NHS / Health Body
Action Taken
The health board implemented a checklist to ensure multidisciplinary team members, including the Community Mental Health Team and family, can express their views on patient leave. They also appointed a ward clerk, developed a carers' forum, implemented a risk assessment model (WARNN), created a Patient Experience Group (PEG), involved carers in 15-step reviews, and arranged a learning event. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Mr Boyes Re: Kolth Heatley _ deceesed wite with referance t0 the Inquest held on 280 February 2019 In respect of the above named; During the inquest you issued a Regulation 28 Report to Provent Future Deaths. The Regulatlon 28 Report related to the fact that there wa8 no pollcy or procedure In place in Wales t0 revew and a88es8 infomal patients prior to them going on leave from the Ward: The Health Board accepts that Mr Heatley'e leave ghould have managed better and has Implemented checkllst to Onbure multi-dlecipllnary team members Including the Community Mental Health Team and the patlent'8 famlly ar aware and able t exprees thelr vlewa on the leave, prlr to the patlent golng on leave away from the Ward: In addition the Health Board hag taken & number of steps to improve patient safety withln mental health servce8 whlch Includes: Appolntment of a ward clerk to support tlmely documentation of Multl-Dlsclplinary Team meetings for Ward 14; Development of a carers' forum wlthin Bridgend which meets monthly: Bwrdd lechxd Prifyegol Baa Abartawa YW enw gwelthredu Bwdd lochyd Lbol Prityegol Bae Abortawa Swaneea Bay Unlverelty Health Board Is the oporatonal name of Swaneea Unlverelty Local Health Board Ynnl, Bay Enery been Bey

Implementatbn of the Walee Applled Rlek Reeearch Network (WARNN) rlek aggeeement model 8 one tol for u88 wthln the eervlce. Staff on ward 14 attendlng ongolng tralning regardlng WARNN rek aesessment: Implementatbn of the mental health Patlent Experlence Group (PEG) whlch covere all areae of eervce covered withln the Brildgend Locality; whlch Includee Inpatlenta eervlce8. Involvement of carars' repregentattvee In tho 15 stepe rovlewa caned out on ward 14, Colty Clinlc, Brldgend: Stafif have and wIl continue to rcalve tralnlng In fonulation of Car Plang with Involvement from tha patiente porepective Lead staff ara worklng with ward staff In relatlon to Infomation eharlng with famllles In relation t patiente care; wile Btill adhering t0 patiente wishee and rights. leaming event hae been ananged with the Mental Health Team t0 8hare the leamlng wthln the Health Board on 28* April 2010. The Healith Board wll then ghar tha leamlng on an all Wales baels through the Heads of Patlent Experlenca Network In June 2019. Furthemore; the Health Board le taklng advlce on the pollcles In place In England In teme of eneuring the Weleh leglelaton Ie complled with; Mental Health Meaeure 2012, whlch Is not appllcable In England: Coneklerallon WIl aleo be given t balanclng the fact that they ar0 voluntary patlents and wa cannot deprive thase patlente of thelr Ilbartles. Onca tha Health Board ha8 developed a policy then #t wlll be ghared on an all Wales bagla t0 eneure leamlng from thls caee I8 ehared across NHS Wales: Your8 elncerely Yyk Tracy Myhlll Chlof Executtve cc Improvlng Patlent Safety Team; Welah Govemment gofalu am eln gllydd; cydwotthlo; gwolla bob ameer carlng for each other, worklng together; alwaye Improvlng Pege 2 the Jraty
Sent To
  • ABMU Health Board
Response Status
Linked responses 1 of 1
56-Day Deadline 23 Apr 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
concluded an inquest on 28th February 2019 into the passing of Mr Keith Heatley: The medical cause of death was 1a. Drowning and the conclusion of the inquest was an open conclusion:
Circumstances of the Death
find the fact that Mr Heatley was admitted voluntarily to hospital on 1s May 2018 and thereafter was transferred t0 Ward 14 on 3r May 2018 find that upon admission that he needed urgent admission and view which accept that at the time of admission on 1st 2018 he was considered a high risk of suicide, potential risk to his wife and possibly psychotic. find the fact that during the time Mr Heatley remained on Ward 14 he enjoyed various amounts and degrees of leave from the hospital grounds. This varied between leave within the hospital grounds and leave outside the hospital grounds with his family find that there was a lack of documented evidence of multidisciplinary decision-making and planning of Mr Heatley s leave from the ward. find that the time of writing the serious incident clinical review there was no policy guidance within the mental health and learning disability delivery unit regarding leave for informal patients_ find as & fact that although multidisciplinary team meetings were held on the 8ih and 15"h of May they were not documented directly in the clinical notes but were instead documented inpro formas intended t0 be added to the clinical record accept the evidence Jthat there was a lack of consistent recording of MDT meetings within the clinical notes particularly for the 8 h and 15th of May 2018. find as a fact that there is no evidence of anyone agreeing or authorising leave for Mr Heatley on 18th 2018 find as a fact that even if there was a decision made to grant and authorise leave Mr Heatley on 18lh May 2018 there was no clinical review of him prior to him leaving the May May hospital that day. find as a fact find the fact that the risk of suicide andlor self-harm was real and ever present: In real terms this simply means that this was not a fanciful whim or suggestion find that Mr Heatley left the family home at some time in the afternoon of 18ih May and thereafter was found in the water. find that Mr Heatley sadly passed away as a result of drowning accept the medical cause of death as propounded by which IS supported by the evidence oi concerning the bloodlwater fluid on the lungs It is not suggested Mr Heatley passed away as result of any other cause There is simply no evidence before me as to how Mr Heatley entered the water find that cannot be satisfied on the evidence that the conclusion of suicide is appropriate or merited. The evidence does not show a causal Iink between those facts as have found In relation to the care and the passing it follows the state could not be in breach of its obligations under article 2 to protect life_ The inquest focused on the leave given to Mr Heatley as a voluntary patient; the systems in place to authorise and review the same and the support given to families_upon a voluntary patient enjoying_home leave: CoRONERS CONCERNS During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken: In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you: The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows_ (1) The evidence of a Consultant Psychiatrist who was a Clinical Advisor to a Significant Incident Review stated that there was a policy in England for reviewing and assessing patients who are voluntarily admitted to hospitals before go on home leave. There is no such policy or procedure in Wales: (2) As a result of there no policy in Wales. hospital doctors and Nursing staff are reliant on 'best practice' however this concept is not defined nor does it provide a sufficient level of guidance for patients staff (3) There were no or insufficient procedures in place for hospital staff to Iiaise with the patient's family and CPN when leave is considered t0 examine the preparedness of the family and whether there were systems of support in place_
Action Should Be Taken
In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and believe you and your organisation have the power to take such action.
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.