Gregg O’Reilly

PFD Report All Responded Ref: 2014-0221
Date of Report 19 May 2014
Coroner ME Hassell
Response Deadline est. 14 July 2014
All 1 response received · Deadline: 14 Jul 2014
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
The coroner noted a missed opportunity to refer the deceased to critical care, and the lack of observation records during a critical period before the deceased suffered a second bleed and cardiac arrest.
View full coroner's concerns
I heard that an opportunity was missed by the medical, ward nursing and critical care nursing outreach teams, to refer Mr O’Reilly to critical care, certainly by 17.01.14. It is unclear whether that would have changed the outcome for him, but it meant that he was not offered optimal care. Given the number of staff who could have made such a referral, it seems that this issue goes further than individual error or lack of understanding. I appreciate that also makes it a big issue to tackle.

Further, although he was on two hourly observations, no record of any observation could be found between midnight on 17.01.14 and 3am on 18.01.14, when Mr O’Reilly was found to have suffered a second bleed with very low blood pressure, and a cardiac arrest call was made.
Responses
Barts Health NHS Trust NHS / Health Body
Action Planned
Barts Health NHS Trust has concluded an investigation and outlined recommendations including recruiting a Band 7 Sister, shortening the transition to an electronic patient record, establishing a Critical Care Board (meeting August 2014), and launching an education strategy to identify deteriorating patients. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Madam Inquest Touching the Death of Gregg O'Reilly write in response to your Regulation 28: Report to Prevent Future Deaths received on 20 2014 can inform you that investigation into your concerns regarding the opportunity missed by medical, ward nursing and critical care outreach teams, to refer Mr OReilly to critical care, as well as the absence of a record of observations between midnight and on 17 January 2014 and 0300 hours on 18 January 2014, when he was on two hourly observations, and was found to have suffered second bleed with very low blood pressure, for which a cardiac arrest call was made; has now been concluded: am satisfied that this investigation has been sufficiently robust; in that we have scrutinised all relevant records and interviewed staff to inform our investigation: write to apprise you of the conclusions to the investigation_ During the investigation, senior medical and nursing staff have investigated the concerns raised in your report as well as the wider issues which impacted upon Mr O'Reilly's death: The recommendations of the investigation are set out below: The Trust Executive Team to consider the wider learning points from this review and instigate changes as appropriate 2 The relevant ward to have a Band 7 Sister recruited as a matter of urgency given the overall acuity of this ward and the need for senior leadership locally. 3 Ensure the transition period from a paper based system to the full electronic patient record is as short as possible and ensure the risks of the hybrid system are on the Risk Register and appropriate mitigation is in place. Barts Health NHS Trust: Newham University Hospital, The London Chest Hospital, Royal London Hospital, St Bartholomew's Hospital and Whipps Cross University Hospital: OSABLCQ July May key Nouti The

Barts Health [HS NHS Trust Explore the usage of an electronic patient record red flag to identify chronically ill patients who have complex care needs and require frequent admissions to hospital: This would involve the contacts from the multi-professional teams being incorporated into this system to expedite care and ensure continuity for the patient and the family
5. The Critical Care Outreach Team (CCOT) and the consultant intensivists to develop formal guidelines, outlining when CCOT should request a critical care medical review: Chronically sick patients who are causing concern should have a "Case Review Meeting" which should involve all relevant teams involved in the care to agree and implement the overall management plan Managing the Acutely Ill Patient Group (MAIPG) to be revamped, by expanding the membership, ensuring greater participation of senior clinicians all Clinical Academic Groups, setting clear objectives with timelines, to address the most important issues: This group has forged strategic links with the Trust Quality Group and the new Mortality Review Board to ensure greater executive awareness and support: Strengthening the links between MAIPG and the Care Quality Collaborative Deteriorating Patient Group. 8_ In line with the Berwick Report 2013 the MAIPG to have patient Or public representative to sit on the forum to voice concerns and challenge decision making to improve patient safety: 9 Ensure each clinical team conducts Morbidity and Mortality review, ideally using an agreed Trust proforma for all patients who die in hospital. suspected preventable death identified to be escalated to the Mortality Group and a Serious Incident proforma raised.
10. Launch an Education Strategy to ensure all staff can identify a sick and deteriorating patient and can escalate concerns. The Trust medical and nursing Induction Programmes to incorporate briefing on 'Recognising and Responding to the Deteriorating Patient:
11. The Trust is planning an "all site" Cardiac Arrest Call Audit in July 2014 to determine what factors pre-empted the call and to look at whether appropriate care was taking place prior to arrest: Ensure the findings are widely disseminated, action plans agreed, and all groups mentioned above are involved in delivering the recommendations.
12. The Trust to re-establish the Critical Care Board, as a matter of urgency. The Terms of Reference, membership and Chair have now been agreed and provisional date set of August 2014 has been set for the first meeting: Barts Health NHS Trust: Newham University Hospital, The London Chest Hospital, Royal London Hospital, St Bartholomew's Hospital and Whipps Cross University Hospital: 2 O1SABLE? key from Any the key key Mout/ The [

Barts Health NNHST NHS Trust We have taken this as an opportunity to review our processes to enhance future care. The outcome of the investigation will be shared with all relevant Trust medical and nursing staff to ensure that these changes are into practice: The effectiveness of the changes will be subject to regular audit. Thank you kindly for bringing your concerns to my attention: trust you are assured have taken them seriously and investigated them appropriately.
Sent To
  • Barts Health
Response Status
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56-Day Deadline 14 Jul 2014
All responses received
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Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 04.02.14 I commenced an investigation into the death of Gregg O’Reilly, aged 53. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 15.05.14.

I concluded that Mr O’Reilly died from two naturally occurring diseases, contributed to by the recognised complications of medical treatment for one of these.

His medical cause of death was: 1a bronchopneumonia and urinary tract infection 1b diverticular disease (treated) and cirrhosis of the liver 2 hypertensive heart disease.
Circumstances of the Death
Mr O’Reilly was admitted as an emergency to the Royal London Hospital on 31.12.13. He was dehydrated and in a poor nutritional state, with a high stoma output from his ileostomy, an acute kidney injury and a high white cell count.

On 17.01.13, he deteriorated and went into multi organ failure. He then suffered a bleed from his abdominal wound. The following day, he suffered a further bleed and this had to be treated surgically, after which he was admitted to critical care. However, he did not recover, and died three days later.
Copies Sent To
intensivist, Royal London Hospital
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Commissioning Hepatology Services
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.