Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2016

Ronald Hamer

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2016-0149, written 20 Apr 2016. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report20 Apr 2016
Reference2016-0149
DeceasedRonald Hamer
CoronerGraeme Hughes
Coroner areaSouth Wales Central
CategoryCommunity health care and emergency services related deaths
Organisation namedWelsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

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.

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 DEATHS

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:
1. The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust — South East Area
2. Chief Coroner
3. Health Inspectorate Wales
4. Family — (Daughter)
5. — Minister for Health & Social Services
1 | CORONER

| am Graeme Hughes, Assistant Coroner, for the coroner area of South Wales Central
Area.

2 | 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.

3 | INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On the 16" February 2016 | opened an inquest into the death of Ronald Hamer. |
concluded that inquest on the 13" April 2016. The conclusion of the inquest was
Accidental Death.

oe |
4 | CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

The deceased was an independent elderly gentlemen living at his home at
On the morning of the 8" February 2016 he slipped and fell in the
| bathroom of his home sustaining an injury to his right arm. He became immobilised on
| the floor remaining in an awkward position whereby his right arm was trapped by his
body. This incident occurred around Sam and he was not discovered by his family until
around 6:45pm - over 13% hours later. A call to the emergency services was made at
around 6:50pm with the ambulance arriving shortly before 9:30pm. Mr Hamer was
conveyed to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil but despite treatment his condition
deteriorated and he died there on the morning of the 10" February 2016.

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) As against an internal Welsh Ambulances Services Trust response target time
for an Amber 2 call of 20 minutes, an ambulance did not arrive at the scene for
nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes. It was accepted in evidence on behalf of the
Welsh Ambulance Services Trust that this response time was unacceptable and

that the situation could happen again.

8 COPIES and PUBLICATION

2) Cognisant of the delay in responding to the original call to the emergency
services, good practice of the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust would have
been to have made a phone call(s) to seek an update on the condition of the
patient, to provide further advice and to ascertain whether it would have been
appropriate to re-categorise the call. A call was not made to the family of the
deceased (and this was disputed in evidence in any event) until just before
8:25pm, 1% hours after the original call had been received.

3) The evidence suggested that at or around the time of the first call being made to
the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust at around 6:50pm on the at February
2016 there was an extremely high number of calls being polled. The evidence
suggested that there was an absence of clear planning and direction as to the
maintenance and delivery of the Trust's services and that in repeat
circumstances of such significant polling the same circumstances as found at
the inquest of Mr Hamer could repeat themselves.

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 15"" June 2016. 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.

| | have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner, The Welsh Ambulance Services
| Trust, Health Inspectorate Wales, the family and the Minister for Health & Social
| Services who may find it useful or of interest.

|
| 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 rs “ onse by the Chief Coroner.

20" April 2016 SIGNED:

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 Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (PDF)
Ymddiriedolaeth GIG Q G IG

Gwasanaethau Ambiwlans Cymru Lj

Welsh Ambulance Services 0 N H S

WHS Trust

Pencadlys Rhanbarthol Ambiwlans a Chanolfan Cyfathrebu Clinigol
Regional Ambulance Headquarters and Clinical Contact Centre

TY Vantage Point / Vantage Point House, Ty Coch Way, Cwmbran NP44 7HF
rn ee

www.ambulance.wales.nhs.uk

CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE

Your Ref: PS
Fe

Our Ref:

9 June 2016

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Graeme Hughes

HM Assistant Coroner

South Wales Central Area
Coroner's Office

1% Floor, Rock Grounds
Aberdare

CF44 7AE

Dear Mr Hughes
Re Ronald Hamer (Deceased)

| am writing in response to your letter dated 20 April 2016 and the Regulation 28 Report
to Prevent Future Deaths issued by your office, following the inquest of Mr Ronald
Hamer (Deceased). | would like to provide you with assurance that we are making
progress with the actions being led by named individual staff and partners in order to
take forward the key actions for improvement. Please find attached a copy of the
Action Plan that the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust has developed as a result
of this Regulation 28.

| can assure you that as a consequence of this case we have learned lessons as an
Organisation which are being monitored through a Task and Finish Group of senior
staff, led by the Director of Quality, Safety and Patient Experience. | would also like to
assure you that the monitoring of the actions and agreed timescales will be scrutinised
through the Trust Board Quality, Patient Experience and Safety Committee.

In addition to the Regulation 28 requirements | would like to extend an invite to you to
meet with the Director of Operations and the Medical Director who will be able to
provide you with an overview of the new and pioneering Clinical Response Model and
also the context of the events that were occurring across NHS Wales on the 8 February
2016.

Cadeirydd/Cnair: Mick Gisnnasi

Prt WeithtedwriChief Executive: Tracy Mybbi
Mae'r Yinddinedoloeth yn croasawu gohepiactn yn y Gymraeg neu Ssesneg
The Trust welcomes corospondence in Welsh or Enghst

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sYYfr evs

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions with regards to the
action plan.

Yours sincerely

Jin Mbt

Tracy Myhill
Chief Executive

Enc.

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