Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2013

John Lansdowne

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2013-0360, written 23 Oct 2013. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report23 Oct 2013
Reference2013-0360
DeceasedJohn Lansdowne
CoronerPaul Kelly
Coroner areaNorth Lincolnshire & Grimsby
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text extracted from the PDF text layer. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

Regulation 28:  Prevention of Future Deaths report 

John Frank Henry LANSDOWNE (died 19.05.13) 

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO: 

1.  Ms Wendy Wallace 
Chief Executive 
Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust 
St Pancras Hospital  
4 St Pancras Way 
London  NW1 0PE 

1 

CORONER 

I am:   Coroner ME Hassell 
           Senior Coroner  
           Inner North London 
           St Pancras Coroner’s Court 
           Camley Street 
           London  N1C 4PP 

2 

CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS 

I make this report under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009,  
paragraph 7, Schedule 5, and  
The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, 
regulations 28 and 29. 

3 

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST 

On 22 May 2012, my assistant coroner, Selena Ruth Lynch, commenced 
an investigation into the death of John Frank Henry Lansdowne, aged 62.  

The  investigation  concluded  at  the  end  of  the  inquest  on  22  October 
2013. The jury returned a narrative conclusion, which I have attached. 

4 

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH 

John  Lansdowne  was  diagnosed  with  schizophrenia  in  1980.    He  had 
been cared for by local psychiatric in patient and out patient services for 
at least eighteen years prior to his death. 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 On Tuesday, 15 May 2012, he was admitted to St Pancras Hospital under 
s3 of the Mental Health Act, at the time talking a great deal about taking 
his  life.    He  had  in  2010  and  2011  jumped  in  front  of  trains,  sustaining 
very significant injuries on each occasion. 

At  10.30pm  on  Friday,  18  May  2012,  he  was  found  submerged  in  the 
bath.  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was attempted and he was taken by 
ambulance to University College Hospital, but he died shortly thereafter. 

5 

CORONER’S CONCERNS 

During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise 
to  concern.  In  my  opinion,  there  is  a  risk  that  future  deaths  will  occur 
unless  action  is  taken.  In  the  circumstances  it  is  my  statutory  duty  to 
report to you. 

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows.  

1.  The jury found that the times observations of Mr Lansdowne took 
place  in  the  45  minutes  preceding  his  discovery  were  unclear, 
despite a nursing observation record setting these out. 

2.  There  was  confusion  regarding  the  retrieval  of  the  entirety  of  the 
medical/nursing  records  after  Mr  Lansdowne’s  death,  and  one 
observation sheet was never recovered. 

3.  At inquest, there was a lack of consistency in the understanding of 
nursing  staff  on  Laffan  Ward  at  St  Pancras  Hospital,  as  to  the 
exact  requirements  of  intermittent  observations  when  a  patient  is 
bathing. 

4.  Mr  Lansdowne  died  in  the  bath,  it  is  possible  as  a  result  of 
drowning.    Mr  Lansdowne’s  family  explained  at  inquest  that  in 
other  hospitals  where  he  had  been  treated,  only  walk  in  showers 
are used. 

6 

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN 

In  my  opinion  action  should  be  taken  to  prevent  future  deaths  and  I 
believe  you  and  Camden  &  Islington  NHS  Trust  have  the  power  to  take 
such action.  

7 

YOUR RESPONSE 

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date 
of this report, namely by 18 December 2013. I, the coroner, may extend 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 the period. 

Your  response  must  contain  details  of  action  taken  or  proposed  to  be 
taken,  setting  out  the  timetable  for  action.  Otherwise  you  must  explain 
why no action is proposed. 

8 

COPIES and PUBLICATION 

I have sent a copy of my report to the following. 

  HHJ Peter Thornton QC, the Chief Coroner of England & Wales 
 

, John Lansdowne’s parents 

I  am  also  under  a  duty  to  send  the  Chief  Coroner  a  copy  of  your 
response.  

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted 
or summary form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who 
he  believes  may 
interest.  You  may  make 
representations to me, the Senior Coroner, at the time of your response, 
about  the  release  or  the  publication  of  your  response  by  the  Chief 
Coroner. 

it  useful  or  of 

find 

9 

DATE                                                   SIGNED BY SENIOR CORONER 

23.10.13 

3
Also filed under 2013-0360: Dring-2013-0360.pdf
. 

.

ANNEX A
REGULATION  28:  REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)
NOTE: This form  is to be used after  an  inquest. 

,-

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATI:;IS

THIS  REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

1. 
North East lincolnshire  Council, 2 Origin Way, Grimsby.

, Principal Traffic  Engineer, Highways & Transport,

1 

.  CORONER

I am Paul Kelly, senior coroner, for the coroner area of North lincolnshire
and Grimsby.

.

2 

CORONER'S  LEGAL  POWERS

I make this  report under paragraph 7, schedule 5, of the Coroners and

-':~;  Justice Act 2009 and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners

'1;' 
3 

(InvestiQations) ReQulations 2013.
INVESTIGATION  and  INQUEST

On 11.1.13 I commenced an investigation into the death of lynne  Dring

age 52 years.  The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on

,17.12.13. 

The conclusion of the inquest was head injury due to road

4 

5 

traffic collision.
CIRCUMSTANCES  OF THE DEATH

The deceased was crossing A 1098 Taylors Avenue,  Cleethorpes at a
roundabout  controlled junction  known as Hewitts Circus when she was
struck by a car exiting the roundabout.
CORONER'S  CONCERNS

During the course of the inquest the evidence  revealed matters giving rise
to concern.  In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur
unless action is taken.  In the circumstances  it is my statutory duty to
report  to  you.

The MATTERS  OF CONCERN are as follows. -

(1)  Street furniture,  notably a central illuminated bollard may

obstruct/interfere with motorists view.

(2)  White  lines indicating an Elephant crossing are non-prescribed and

may induce pedestrians to believe they have priority.

6 

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN 

.

In my onion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe
your organisation  have the power to take such action by reviewing the
street furniture  and elephant crossing at this  location.

;

.

1i;..
,

, 
'...

.

--,.~_'~L-C 

.:' 

-

\ 

i

\ 

f 
( 
; 
! 

,  -" 

t 

 !

. 
':c ..

.

.

7 

YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date 
of this  report.

'0,

,

8 

COPIES AND  PUBLICATION

I have sent a copy of my report to the Chef Coroner and to the family of
the deceased.

.  I am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your

response.

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or
summary form.  He may send a copy of this report to any person who he 

.

believes may find it useful or of interest.  You may make representations
to me, the coroner, at the time of your response, about the release or the
publication  of your response by the Chief Coroner. 

.

\

,
, 

, 

i
I
\,

i

.  ."

t

~ 
~C, "" 'Yi
l 

".' 

'ciS::;'
;-.
. 

~c:" ~ 
1::,' 
E  c,~ 

.

"

9 

DATE 

)o~ 

'\.,..)\,) 

SIGNED BY CORONER
f~ 

\~. 

.

"

f

.

.

'~t

C'~"( 
~c~~;.::j;:-,,;;,;, 

c"

-

Responses

1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from Balfour Beatty (PDF)
.'

0;"

.~;(; 

""- 

~

Coroners Unit 
3 0 J.'.N 2 " 

011 

NO~
rl~t,JLNSHIRE Balfour  Beatty
co  U N  C  I L
www.nelincs.gov.uk  WorkPlace

Working in Partnership

Mr P Kelly
H.M  Coroner 

Cleethorpes  Town  Hall 
Knoll Street 
Cleethorpes
North East Lincolnshire 

DN358LN 

27 January 2014

Dear Mr Kelly,

~~~~t=::,,:;;:~,,:::,,;;;~, 

'~""c..,-c"',"C"~"-'-

c 

" 

Our  Ref.:  AI300

Your  Ref.:  PK/JSG

PN No.:

When calling please ask for: 

Direct line telephone number: 

e-mail address:  traffic@nelincs.gov.uk

.

'" 

FATAL  RTC - 9TH  JANUARY 2013 
A1098  HEWITTS CIRCUS ROUNDABOUT,  CLEETHORPES

.

I refer to your letter of 30th December 2013 in relation to the above.

The concerns expressed in the Regulation 28 report are as follows
~(1 ) Street  furniture,  notably  a  central  i1tuminat~~ bo11ard may obstructlinterfere-

.

with motorists view.

(2) White line indicating an Elephant crossing are non-prescribed and may

induce pedestrians to believe they have priority.

To these you have suggested that action should be taken to prevent future
deaths by reviewing the street furniture and elephant crossing at the roundabout.

I can inform you that it is intended to replace the illuminated bollards at the
roundabout with non-illuminated bollards. These are not significantly smaller that
the bollards currently present but in replacing them a location within the central
refuge will be chosen so as to offer the best guidance to motorist whilst avoiding
restricting visibility to or of a pedestrian attempting to cross the roads.

With regard to the WBM 294 (elephants footprints) road markings, all sites where
these have been installed have been identified; some 17 sites in total. A program
of removal has been complied with the intention of removing markings at 10 sites
being the priority. The Hewitt's Circus roundabout is in this "top 10" priority listing.

Yours sincerely,

Principal  Traffic  Engineer

.

Related reports

Other reports by Paul Kelly

See all →

More reports categorised “Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths”

See all →

Track Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths

See every Prevention of Future Deaths report matching Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths, and how often a new one appears.

What would an alert for this have sent me? Search the full text

Free to try — the preview shows the real matches and how many arrived in the last 12 months. Your first email alert is free.

These reports are published by the Chief Coroner's office at judiciary.uk and are © Crown copyright. The text here is reproduced from the published PDF so it can be searched. If something on this page is wrong, or you are a person named in it and want it reviewed, email drcjar@gmail.com and we will act promptly.