Patricia Edge

PFD Report Partially Responded Ref: 2014-0531
Date of Report 10 December 2014
Coroner Simon Allen
Coroner Area Manchester (West)
Response Deadline est. 4 February 2015
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
An excessive paracetamol dose was prescribed and dispensed due to inadequate staff training and procedures, compounded by a failure to review the dose or conduct necessary blood tests.
View full coroner's concerns
July ` July July

: ; (1) The circumstances including training of staff and Trust procedures in which a patient could be prescribed and dispensed an excessive dose of paracetamol on the 14t 2014.

(2) The apparent lack of any review of the paracetamol dose between 14th and July 2014.

(3) The apparent failure to carry out blood tests between 14t and 19th which would have revealed/confirmed the possibility of the dose of paracetamol being excessive, again considering issues of training and procedures.
Responses
Bolton NHS Trust NHS / Health Body
2 Feb 2015
Action Taken
Following an investigation, the Trust identified variations in paracetamol prescribing across the organisation, and the Medical Devices Committee and Medications Safety Group have thoroughly reviewed the prescribing process. The Trust has revised its practice to ensure regular monitoring of patients prescribed Paracetamol, communicated via SBAR slides distributed to medical staff and incorporated into the Medicines Management e-learning module. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Mr Jones am writing in response to your Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths_ issued following the inquest into the death of Patricia Edge, who sadly died on 20 July 2014_ am now in a position to respond to your concerns outlined below as follows - Issue 1 The circumstances including training of staff and Trust procedures in which patient could be prescribed and dispensed an excessive dose of paracetamol on the 14 July 2014_ Issue 2 ~ The apparent lack of any review of the paracetamol dose between 14 and 19 July 2014. Issue 3 The apparent failure to carry out blood tests between 14 and 19 July which would have revealedlconfirmed the possibility of the dose of paracetamol being excessive, again considering issues of training and procedures: Actions taken: Following an investigation by senior managers into your concerns, the Trust has identified that across the organisation there have been variations in respect of Paracetamol prescribing: The Medical Devices Committee and the Medications Safety Group have worked closely to address these issues and the process for prescribing Paracetamol has been thoroughly reviewed: As a result the Trust has now has revised its practice and this improvement will ensure that where patients are prescribed Paracetamol there will be regular monitoring by the clinical team responsible for the patient:

The attached SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendations) slide details the seven actions taken by the and addresses the three concerns that you have raised. An SBAR is quality improvement tool which has been adopted by the Trust and is being used as a mechanism to communicate critical information to relevant staff and foster a culture of patient safety: The SBAR has been distributed to all medical staff across the organisation and to wards and services where Paracetamol is used: The message has been disseminated to staff through the PINUP (Policy, Information, role of NHSLA and Understanding Processes) Newsletter and through the Staff Bulletin issued on 30 January 2015. In addition, the Medicines Management e-learning module has been amended to reflect the improved process and ensure the message is continually circulated to clinical staff, We are confident that the Trust has taken all reasonably practicable steps to improve the system of prescribing of Paracetamol in order to address your concerns and do hope that my response has provided you with the assurance that you and the family are looking for: If you need any further information, or if can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate t0 contact me_
Sent To
  • Mark Reynolds Solicitors
  • Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Response Status
Linked responses 1 of 2
56-Day Deadline 4 Feb 2015
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 29th July 2014 I commenced an investigation into the death of Patricia Edge,
66. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 3rd December 2014. The conclusion of the inquest was that the cause of death was: - la)Ischaemic bowel 1b) Bowel obstruction 1c) Advanced colorectal carcinoma II) Paracetamol liver toxicity The conclusion was that Patricia Edge was diagnosed with diverticulitis following admission to the Royal Bolton Hospital on the IOth May 2014 with a history of abdominal pain and diarrhoea since February 2014. A colonoscopy was planned but she was readmitted on the 14th July 2014 when she was prescribed an excessive dose of paracetamol which was not corrected until the 19th 2014. biopsy taken on the 28th June 2014 had resulted in a report dated Znd 2014 confirming the presence of bowel cancer: A CT scan 0n the 16th 2014 showed the cancer had spread and the bowel was obstructed, The obstruction led to the bowel becoming ischaemic a rare condition and her condition deteriorated and she died at the Royal Bolton Hospital on the 2oth July 2014
Circumstances of the Death
Patricia Edge died in Royal Bolton Hospital of bowel cancer _ but an excessive dose of paracetamol dispensed between 140 and 19th July 2014 contributed to her death:
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.