Robin Brett

PFD Report Historic (No Identified Response) Ref: 2016-0013
Date of Report 11 January 2016
Coroner Claire Balysz
Response Deadline ✓ from report 7 March 2016
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
A missed steroid dose went unnoticed due to a lack of system alerts on both paper and electronic drug charts for patients on long-term steroid therapy.
View full coroner's concerns
_ Wiltshire & Swindon Coroner's Office, 26 Endless Street; Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 1DP Tel 01722 438900 Fax 01722 332223 daily daily put

This patient was prescribed steroids appropriately but the nursing staff failed to notice a dose of steroids had been missed, There is no system on the paper drug chart or the electronic prescribing system for alerting medical staff to patients being on long term steroids
Sent To
  • Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Response Status
Linked responses 0 of 1
56-Day Deadline 7 Mar 2016
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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 17/06/2014 | commenced an investigation into the death of Robin Keith Brett; 18 The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 22 December 2015. The conclusion of the inquest was Robin died from natural causes contributed to by neglect:
Circumstances of the Death
Robin was an 18 year old man who was born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia This necessitated steroid replacement with a need to supplement the dose with IV steroids if he became unwell, He was admitted to the Great Western Hospital on 13 June 2014 with history of severe constipation and in an addisonian crisis. This was initially treated appropriately but he was not given the regular steroids that had been prescribed by the doctors_ This was an error. When he died at 0430hrs on 14 June 2014 he had not had any steroids since 1200 hrs on 13 June 2014_ This significantly weakened his ability to cope with the strain the constipation on his body. The evidence that heard at Inquest showed that any patient on long term steroids for whatever reason must not have their steroids stopped suddenly, if they do there is a likelihood of an addisonian crisis and death_
Action Should Be Taken
In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and believe you have the power to take such action.
Related Inquiry Recommendations

Public inquiry recommendations addressing similar themes

CDI patient observations records
Vale of Leven Inquiry
Missed and inaccurate patient observations
Medicines administration
Mid Staffs Inquiry
MAR chart errors
Recording of routine observations
Mid Staffs Inquiry
Missed and inaccurate patient observations

Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.