Michael Pollard

PFD Report All Responded Ref: 2015-0078
Date of Report 5 March 2015
Coroner Lydia Brown
Response Deadline est. 30 April 2015
All 1 response received · Deadline: 30 Apr 2015
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
An outdated hospital switchboard rota led to critical delays in contacting the correct on-call consultant for an emergency, highlighting a need for a centrally managed, up-to-date system.
View full coroner's concerns
In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report t0 you; During the night that Michael died, it was necessary to contact the on call GI bleed Consultant t0 discuss the need for an emergency endoscopy This is accomplished via the hospital switchboard The rota held by the switchboard staff was out of date,and and and called a Consultant who was not on call and was on leave, travellling t0 the airport al the time Time was lost in identifying the appropriate Consultant was advised that the Trust have not resolved a new system to avoid such difficulties in the future In my opinion the following matters need t0 be considered (1) The on call rota must be up t0 date accessible by both switchboard and those clinicians who need access t0 It (2) Any amendments must only be made centrally to a single point to avoid any discrepancies between previous rotas and the current rota
Responses
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust NHS / Health Body
5 Mar 2015
Action Planned
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust's Interim Medical Director has written to all doctors reminding them of their obligations to ensure that switchboard are informed of any amendments to the on-call rota and their Director of Estates and Facilities will remind the switchboard staff of their responsibilities to keep the on-call rota updated. The Trust is in the process of procuring a trust-wide web-based system to manage on-call rotas, expected to be available for use throughout the Trust by the end of this calendar year. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Mrs Mason Re Michael Andrew Pollard Thank you for the Regulation 28 report sent to us on 5 March 2015 by your Assistant Coroner; note that the matters of concern relate t0 the on-call rota held by switchboard t0 enable contact to be made to the on-call Gl consultant: You felt that two points needed t0 be considered: - That the on-call rota must be up to date, accessible by both switchboard and those clinicians who need t0 access it, and Any amendments must only be made centrally to a single point to avoid any discrepancies between previous rotas the current rota: am now in a position t0 respond. All Clinical Specialties arrange their on-call rotas in advance and report these rotas to Switchboard, Although some specialities are able use a web-based system this is still largely paper-based system at present and Switchboard transcribe this information, 24 hours in advance of it being needed, to produce a daily on-call rota for the entire Trust; As you will appreciate it can sometimes be necessary to make changes to the on- call arrangements whether because of sickness or for other personal reasons. In these cases the responsibility for notifying switchboard of the change remains with the doctor who has arranged for hislher period of on-call to be covered by a colleague Thereafter it is the responsibility of Switchboard staff to update the information so that it is captured in the daily on-call rota they prepare. This rota University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust includes Glenfield Hospital. Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary ebsile; WW leicesterhospitals nhsnet Chairman; Mr Karamjit Singh Chiel Executive: Ar John Adler May and

details all on-call staff across the Trust for the in question and contains contact details for on-call staff: Clinicians who need t0 access the on-call information can do so via Switchboard; From this you will see that we have a central single point for amending the on-call rota and process both for keeping it up to date and also accessible clinicians Generally this system works well but unfortunately did not do so on this occasion. understand that prior t0 the conclusion of this inquest your Assistant Coroner was provided with a copy of the Trust's Investigation Report into Michael s death and which indicates that regrettably there was delay in identifying the correct on-call gastroenterologist as the on-call rota had not been properly updated As indicated in the Investigation Report there is to be a review of the system by the Switchboard Management Team. These matters will be reported t0 our Adverse Events Committee which requires assurance that actions identified in such Trust Reports are followed up and can confirm that this will occur here. As a result of this inquest our Interim Medical Director has written t0 all doctors reminding them of their obligations to ensure that switchboard are informed of any amendments to the on-call rota and our Director of Estates and Facilities will; by the end of May 2015, ensure that the switchboard staff are again reminded of their responsibilities to the on-call rota updated The Trust is in the process of procuring a trust-wide ~based system manage our on-call rotas Our Chief Medical Information Officer expects t0 have this system available for use throughout the Trust by the end of this calendar year; Once adopted this system should strengthen and improve our processes with information uploaded in real-time and visible t0 clinicians_ hope that this response assures you that we take these matters seriously. you wish for any further information please do write to me again. Kind regards
Sent To
  • University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Response Status
Linked responses 1 of 1
56-Day Deadline 30 Apr 2015
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 30" June 2014 commenced an investigation into the death of Michael Andrew Pollard, age 49. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 5" March 2015.The conclusion of the inquest was Michael Pollard developed duodenal ulcer from the repeat prescriptions of naproxen provided by his general practitioners t0 give pain relief from osteoarthritic knee pain. NICE guidelines were not followed t0 also prescribe a Proton Pump Inhibitor t0 protect against gastric erosion He collapsed at home on 23 June and was admitted via ambulance to the Emergency Department at Leicester Royal Infirmary, where an upper gastro-intestinal bleed was diagnosed and the protocol response commenced, Due to delays in escalation t0 senior colleagues no early involvement of Intensive care and inadequate resuscitation with blood products, Michael became unresponsive before an endoscopy was arranged and died from massive haemorrhage several hours Iater on 24 June 2014. Cause of death Massive upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage 1b Bleeding chronic duodenal ulcer Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug treatment for knee pain
Circumstances of the Death
See above
Action Should Be Taken
In my opinion action should be taken t0 prevent future deaths and believe you and your organisation have the power t0 take such action
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.