Terence Millington
PFD Report
All Responded
Ref: 2017-0035
All 1 response received
· Deadline: 27 Apr 2017
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
Inadequate arrangements for on-call doctors, including a senior doctor's failure to ensure availability and a consultant's distant location, delayed prompt emergency care and a blood product request was incorrectly met.
View full coroner's concerns
It is acknowledged that an incident investigation was undertaken by the Trust at my invitation during the inquest which sets out steps to be taken to prevent a repetition of the contact issue. Nonetheless I believe this report remains necessary so that lessons might be learnt beyond the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust.
That an on-call senior doctor (the SpR) did not make satisfactory arrangements to ensure that she would waken if telephoned. That the next on-call (the consultant) would have had no opportunity to attend promptly because of the distance from his home. The AA website shows that from the centre of Retford to Weston Park would take over 50 minutes although it is accepted that the consultant may live on the Sheffield side of Retford. For clarity, it is acknowledged that the consultant would not have had time to attend in this case (from when the request was actually made) even if living much closer. That the request for two packs was not met correctly.
That an on-call senior doctor (the SpR) did not make satisfactory arrangements to ensure that she would waken if telephoned. That the next on-call (the consultant) would have had no opportunity to attend promptly because of the distance from his home. The AA website shows that from the centre of Retford to Weston Park would take over 50 minutes although it is accepted that the consultant may live on the Sheffield side of Retford. For clarity, it is acknowledged that the consultant would not have had time to attend in this case (from when the request was actually made) even if living much closer. That the request for two packs was not met correctly.
Responses
Action Taken
Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust has discussed the incident with the doctor concerned and included reference to on-call responsibilities in the local induction program. An emergency epistaxis bag is now available and monitored on ward I1, and the incident will be presented at the Trust's Safety and Risk Management Board meeting. (AI summary)
Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust has discussed the incident with the doctor concerned and included reference to on-call responsibilities in the local induction program. An emergency epistaxis bag is now available and monitored on ward I1, and the incident will be presented at the Trust's Safety and Risk Management Board meeting. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Mr Dorries Re: Response to Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths write further to your report dated 2 March 2017 , following the inquest into the death of Terence Millington: would firstly like to offer our condolences to Mr Millington's family along with our sincere regrets for the distressing circumstances surrounding his death: We take very seriously the findings of the report, which we have considered carefully: Our response to the specific Matters of Concern within the report is outlined below: In relation to the fact that the on-call senior doctor (the SpR) did not answer calls to her telephone , the consultant has discussed the incident with the doctor concerned. She was unable to offer any reason why the calls failed to wake other than she was very tired and in deep sleep: She is sincerely sorry and has reflected on and learnt from incident From April 2017 the local induction within ENT has included reference to the responsibility of non-resident on-call medical staff to remain contactable and, over the coming months, this is also to be incorporated within the central induction programme for medical staff. In addition, we are in the process of reviewing and amending the Trust's requirements for staff who are on call from home to ensure that both a primary and an alternative contact number are registered with switchboard_ We expect this to be completed by the end of July 2017_ In relation to the issue of contacting medical staff overnight and at weekends, it is important to note that increasing numbers of junior doctors, particularly in the more acute specialties, work resident shifts out of hours rather than being on-call from home_ For these doctors, problems relating to contact are not a concern as remain on site and in the relevant clinical area throughout the out of hours duty period: Sheffield Hospitals In hospital and in the community Charity proud to make a difference Chair: Tony Pedder OBE Chief Executive: Sir Andrew Cash OBE the her, the they
2 Regarding the issue of the next on-call doctor (the consultant) and the distance his home tothehospital_an investigation of the case of this specific consultant is being undertaken by the Trust's Medical Director _ The requirement is for on-call medical staff to be able to attend the hospital within 30 minutes and, whilst there are a number of consultants who live more than 30 minutes away from the hospital, they are required t0 make arrangements to stay locally at a location which meets the '30-minute requirement' when on call. 3_ In response to the issue of the availability of the two nasal packs, an emergency epistaxis bag for on-call medical staff who are required to attend patients elsewhere in Trust is now available on ward I1 at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. The availability and the contents of the have been incorporated within the monthly health and safety checklist so that this will be regularly monitored: In order to ensure wider learning, the incident and the actions outlined above are to be presented at the Trust's Safety and Risk Management Board meeting on 24 2017 . Finally, hope that the above comments address the Matters of Concern within your report and would be happy to answer any outstanding queries.
2 Regarding the issue of the next on-call doctor (the consultant) and the distance his home tothehospital_an investigation of the case of this specific consultant is being undertaken by the Trust's Medical Director _ The requirement is for on-call medical staff to be able to attend the hospital within 30 minutes and, whilst there are a number of consultants who live more than 30 minutes away from the hospital, they are required t0 make arrangements to stay locally at a location which meets the '30-minute requirement' when on call. 3_ In response to the issue of the availability of the two nasal packs, an emergency epistaxis bag for on-call medical staff who are required to attend patients elsewhere in Trust is now available on ward I1 at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. The availability and the contents of the have been incorporated within the monthly health and safety checklist so that this will be regularly monitored: In order to ensure wider learning, the incident and the actions outlined above are to be presented at the Trust's Safety and Risk Management Board meeting on 24 2017 . Finally, hope that the above comments address the Matters of Concern within your report and would be happy to answer any outstanding queries.
Sent To
- Sheffield Hospitals NHS Trust
Response Status
Linked responses
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56-Day Deadline
27 Apr 2017
All responses received
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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 23rd November 2015 I commenced an investigation into the death of Terence Millington (aged 82). The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 7th November 2016. The (narrative) conclusion of the inquest was that: Mr Terence Millington died at Weston Park Hospital Sheffield on the 18th November 2015, primarily in consequence of his severe lung disease although this was not expected to take his life at that moment. His persistent epistaxis through the early morning of 18th November was the trigger for the physiological failure that led to his death and as such was a significant cause of death whilst not leading to exsanguination.
Circumstances of the Death
Mr Millington was admitted to Weston Park Hospital on 12th November 2015 with severe back pain related to metastatic cancer. He also suffered from significant pre-existing respiratory disease. Early on 18th November Mr Millington suffered a nose bleed which was dealt with. Unfortunately he then suffered a second bleed which was again dealt with although with more difficulty. However a subsequent (third) bleed proved more intractable and Mr Millington suffered a cardiac arrest. As noted in the narrative conclusion (see above) the persistent epistaxis was found to be the trigger for the physiological failure leading to death. The doctor who had attended Mr Millington during that night was an SHO with some (albeit limited) ENT experience. He had previously placed an anterior nasal pack but never a posterior pack. As the situation progressed this doctor made efforts to escalate Mr Millington’s care to the ENT SpR on call without success. A Trust investigation was told that the doctor slept through the ring tone of her mobile phone despite repeated calls. The SHO then made contact (without difficulty) with the on-call consultant who gave telephone advice. This doctor told the court that he lived in Retford. At the time of the final bleed there was further discussion between SHO and consultant at which time the junior doctor wanted physical assistance -- but in fairness Mr Millington deteriorated and arrested so quickly that even a doctor resident in the hospital complex may not have reached him in time. The inquest also noted that whilst one of the two packs requested by the SHO arrived from the Royal Hallamshire site, the other one was wrong and thus could not be used.
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.