Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2013

Annie Rose Gibson

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2013-0171, written 1 Aug 2013. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report1 Aug 2013
Reference2013-0171
DeceasedAnnie Rose Gibson
CoronerDavid Hinchcliff
Coroner areaWest Yorkshire (East)
CategoryCommunity health care and emergency services related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses publishednone published

The report

Text recovered by OCR from a scanned PDF. OCR is imperfect: check anything you rely on against the source PDF. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

HER MAJESTY’S CORONER
for the county of West Yorkshire
(Eastern District)

Coroner’s Office
71 Northgate
Wakefield WF1 3BS

Telephone: 01924 302180
Fax: 01924 302184
Email: hmcoroner@wakefield.gov.uk

David Hinchliff LLB LLM DipFMSA

Our Ref: DH/CS/2788L/12
Please quote our reference on all correspondence

1 August 2013

FAO Darren Gibson
The Chief Executive
Saga Homecare
Beaconsfield Court
Beaconsfield Road
Hatfield
Hertfordshire

AL10 8HU

Dear Mr Gibson
Inquest touching the death of Annie Rose GIBSON (deceased)

| concluded the Inquest touching the death of the above named in my Wakefield
Court on 24" July 2013, at the conclusion of which | made an announcement
pursuant to Rule 43 of the Coroners (Amendment) Rules 2008, and | am reporting
this matter to you in accordance with that Rule.

In order to assist you this Rule provides that where the evidence at an Inquest gives
rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk to others will occur or will
continue to exist in the future and in the Coroner's opinion such action should be
taken to prevent the occurrence or continuation of any such circumstances or to
eliminate or reduce the risk of death created by such circumstances, the Coroner
may report the circumstances to a person who may have power to take such action.

In accordance with Rule 43 a copy of this Report is being sent to the Chief Coroner.
Your response to this Report can be shared with other Properly Interested Persons.
The Chief Coroner may send a copy of the Report and responses to any person
whom he believes may find it useful or of interest. In addition the Chief Coroner may
publish a full copy of the summary of the Report and responses.

Please note that Rule 43(A) requires that you give written response within 56 days of
the day the Report is sent. If you are unable to respond within that time you may
apply to me for an extension. The response is to obtain details of any action that has
been taken or which is proposed will be taken, whether in response to this Report or
otherwise, or an explanation as to why no action is proposed.

If there are circumstances where you do not want your response to be shared with,
or for a copy of it to be published, you may make written representation to me at any
time of giving your response. Instead of releasing or publishing your full response it
may be possible to share or publish a summary in accordance with Rule 43(A).

The circumstance i 's death are that she was a widowed lady aged 84,
who lived alone at analy, Wakefield. Mrs Gibson was attended on
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a daily basis by her family and home carers from your organisation. This lady was
last seen alive between 1133 hours and 1210 hours on Friday 12" October 2012.
Mrs Gibson had suffered a fall earlier that day, which had caused her to sustain a
large bruise to her forehead. Mrs Gibson explained this saying that she had fallen
whilst placing rubbish in her bin and had struck her head. At 1134 hours on Saturday
13" October 2012 a carer, your employee visited Mrs Gibson, to
discover her kneeling on the floor in her living room partially clothed and in an
unresponsive state. An ambulance was called, paramedics attended who confirmed
her death at 1154 hours on 13" October 2012.

A post mortem examination gave the cause of death to be :-
1(a) Hypothermia

(b) Immobility

(c) Fractured pelvis and haemorrhage

At this Inquest | recorded a Verdict of Accidental Death. | also recorded :-

“Annie Rose Gibson has fallen at her home
address, 53 Park Street, Horbury, Wakefield on or
around 13” October 2012 sustaining a fractured
pelvis and associated haemorrhage, hypothermia
has also developed, causing her death to be
confirmed there at 1154 hours on 13" October
2012”.

At_the_Inquest_l_ was told that Mrs Gibson had been visited by your employee,
a ] at 1130am on Friday 12" October 2012. Your care worker noted
that_Mrs Gibson had a bruise to her head caused by a fall earlier that day. J
helped Mrs Gibson downstairs. Mrs Gibson was understandably upset and
shaken, but emphatically opposed your carer’s desire to call either a doctor or to
obtain an ambulance. Mrs Gibson’s family concede that she was a very independent
lady who would robustly have refused help in this way. EEE attempted to
contact Mrs Gibson’s daughters on various telephone numbers known to your
organisation, but there was no response. Mrs Gibson was in fact more concerned
that her family attend than obtaining any medical help. Mrs Gibson was left alone
when it was not possible to make contact with her relatives.

My recommendations are that you should address situations such as this in your
training protocols and Care Plans to ensure that your carers would always,
notwithstanding the wishes of your client, call the Emergency Services and ensure
ambulance attendance. | also recommend that the wishes of the client would have to
be overridden in such a situation, in particular when relatives cannot be contacted.

| believe that had Mrs Gibson been taken to hospital by ambulance when she was
found it was likely that her fracture would have been diagnosed and treated.
Hypothermia would not have developed and | consider that this death could have
been avoided.

| would appreciate your response within the time limit stated.

| enclose for i assistance the statements of your employees, and

which were produced at the Inquest.
If | can provide you with any additional information please let me know.

Yours sincerely

( ; ,

/ /

DAVID HINCHLIFF
Senior Coroner
West Yorkshire (Eastern)

Encls

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