Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2014

Elaine Giles

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2014-0529, written 5 Dec 2014. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report5 Dec 2014
Reference2014-0529
DeceasedElaine Giles
CoronerARW Forrest
Coroner areaSouth Lincolnshire
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) 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.

AR W Forrest ium, rrcp, FRcPath
GMC Number: 1333523

Her Majesty's Senior Coroner for South Lincolnshire

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1) |

NOTE: This form is to be used after an inquest.

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

1. Stephen Graves, Chief Executive, Peterborough and Stamford NHS Trust

CORONER

lam ARW Forrest, Senior Coroner for the Coroner's area of South Lincolnshire.

CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS

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

os]

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 29" May 2014 | commenced an investigation into the death of Elaine Marilyn GILES,
age 66. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 4" December 2014.
The conclusion of the inquest was ACCIDENT.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Elaine was a generally fit 66 year old woman who fractured her left neck of femur ina
minimal trauma fall at work. She had an uneventful operation with the insertion of a
prosthetic hip. She required 10 days of post-operative care in hospital before discharge.
Her care was complicated by recurrent nausea, difficulty in pain control, dizziness,
feeling faint, and swollen feet. This all interfered with her rehabilitation. Evidence was
presented at the inquest that she had been pronounced "safe" in walking with an aid and
"safe" on stairs. Once at home it became clear that Elaine was not "safe" on her stairs at
home. The problems she had included foot swelling to the extent that her slippers did
not fit securely. 5 days after her return home she fell whilst descending the stairs. There

were no obvious signs of injury but she took more than a minute or two to recover. She

Unit 1, Gilbert Drive, Endeavour Park, Boston PE21 7TQ
Tel: 01522 553374 Fax: 01522 516717
Email: HMCoroner_Southlincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk

AR W Forrest iw, rrcp, rrcPath
GMC Number: 1333523

Her Majesty's Senior Coroner for South Lincolnshire

had a telephone conversation at 5pm that evening, but was found dead at 1pm the
following day. Whilst it is difficult to estimate the time of death with any precision it is
likely that she died about 12 hours or so before she was found. The cause of death at
post mortem was fat embolism. The likely cause of the fat embolism was jarring of her
hip joint prosthesis in the fall. Forcing fatty material from her bone marrow into the
systemic circulation.

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 Whilst assessed as "safe" on stairs prior to discharge from Peterborough City
Hospital, it is very clear that Elaine could not negotiate stairs safely when she
got home. This tragic case draws attention to the need for detailed assessments
of a patient's likely functional performance in their home circumstances after
discharge and the importance of ensuring adequate support is available in the

home environment.

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN
In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you and/or
your organisation have the power to take such action.

YOUR RESPONSE
You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 29" January 2015. I, the coroner, may extend 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 .

COPIES and PUBLICATION

| have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested

Unit 1, Gilbert Drive, Endeavour Park, Boston PE21 7TQ
Tel: 01522 553374 Fax: 01522 516717
Email: HMCoroner_Southlincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk

AR W Forrest uu, rrcp, Frcpath
GMC Number: 1333523

Her Majesty's Senior Coroner for South Lincolnshire

| Persons:

lam 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.

5" December 2014 Wz
ARW Forrest Sek

H M Senior Coroner for South Lincolnshire

Unit 1, Gilbert Drive, Endeavour Park, Boston PE21 7TQ
Tel: 01522 553374 Fax: 01522 516717
Email: HMCoroner_Southlincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk

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