Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2016

Nadim Butt

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2016-0137, written 7 Apr 2016. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report7 Apr 2016
Reference2016-0137
DeceasedNadim Butt
CoronerIan Smith
Coroner areaStoke on Trent and North Staffordshire
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.

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS |
THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

a
cting Chief Executive/Executive Medical Director

University Hospital of North Midlands

Chief Executive's Office

Trust Headquarters

City General Site

Newcastle Road

Stoke-on-Trent

ST4 6QG
CORONER

| am lan Stewart Smith senior coroner for the coroner area of Stoke-on-Trent & North
Staffordshire.

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.
INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 9" September 2014 | commenced an investigation into the death of Nadim Muzzfar
BUTT aged 48 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 31“
March 2016. The conclusion of the inquest was that Mr Butt died from a complication of
gastric bypass surgery to which neglect contributed. The cause of death was given as:-
1a. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome leading to multi-organ failure.

1b. Hiatus hernia repair and gastric bypass surgery for obesity.

I. Hypertensive left ventricular cardiomyopathy.

4 | CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

The deceased had a history of hypertension and non-insulin dependent diabetes. He
had an elevated body mass index and was clinically severely obese. In an effort to
reduce his weight he was electively admitted to the University Hospital North
Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent on 29th August 2014 for a laparoscopic gastric bypass
procedure. During the procedure a previously undiagnosed hiatus hernia was repaired
and omentum adhering to a known paraumbilical hernia removed. The paraumbilical
hernia was not repaired according to protocols in place at the time. Following the
procedure he complained of abdominal! pain for which he was prescribed analgesia and
his oral intake was much reduced. The pain persisted but he was discharged home in
some discomfort on 1st September. Later that day he was seen by his own doctor at
home who prescribed morphine for pain relief. At 7.25pm that same day he was
readmitted to the University Hospital with continuing abdominal pain. He was not seen
by a doctor until 12.30am on 2nd September when an urgent CT scan was ordered.
Some limited attempt was made to contact the bariatric surgeon but this was not
successful and was not pursued. The scan was not carried out until 6.44am because of
difficulties over the amount of oral contrast he was required to take. The scan revealed a
small bowel obstruction in the area of the umbilicus. A decision was made at 8.00am to
return the deceased to theatre but he did not go to theatre until 1.00pm. A decision had
been made to resuscitate him with fluids because he had become severely dehydrated
but he was only given a maintenance level of intravenous fluid. At surgery the portion of
small bowel which had become entrapped in the paraumbilical hernia was freed and a
section of bowel removed. The hernia was repaired. A small anastomotic leak was found
at the jejunal-jejunal connection and was repaired and the bowel washed out. Towards

L the end of the operation he developed low blood pressure and his lactate levels rose. He

was taken to intensive care where he continued to deteriorate over the next few days
and he developed systemic inflammatory response syndrome and then multi organ
failure. A further operation was performed on the intensive care facility on 3rd
September to relieve intra-abdominal pressure. He died at 6.45am on 5th September
2014.

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 the hospital sought a review of procedures and protocols the matter was not
elevated to a serious untoward incident or root cause analysis where all matters
including clinical and nursing decisions were reviewed and subjected to critical
examination.

2. Despite the recognition that a consultant-led out of hours on-call rota is required for
patients having undergone surgery, no such rota is yet in place.

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you and 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 Friday 10 June 2016). 1, 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
Persons:-

} 3 (cn of the deceased)

Healthcare Governance Manager Patient Safety, RSUH
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.

A rfog/2a'e

Related reports

Other reports by Ian Smith

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.