Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2017

Geraldine Butterfield

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2017-0022, written 25 Jan 2017. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report25 Jan 2017
Reference2017-0022
DeceasedGeraldine Butterfield
CoronerAnna Crawford
Coroner areaSurrey
CategoryCare Home Health 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.

IN THE SURREY CORONER’S COURT
IN THE MATTER OF:

The Inquests Touching the Death of Geraldine Butterfield
A Regulation 28 Report - Action to Prevent Future Deaths

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

Collingwood Grange Nursing Home
Portsmouth Road

Collingwood Grange Close
Camberley

GU15 1LD

1 | CORONER
Ms Anna Crawford, HM Assistant Coroner for Surrey

2 | CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS
I make this report under paragraph 7(1) of Schedule 5 to The Coroners
and Justice Act 2009.

3. | INVESTIGATION and INQUEST
The inquest into the death of Mrs Butterfield was opened on the 5
August 2015 and was resumed and concluded on the 24th January 2017.
The cause of death was:

la - Asphyxia due to food inhalation.
The inquest concluded with a narrative conclusion.

4 | CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Mrs Butterfield was a resident at Collingwood Grange nursing home in
Camberley. The nursing home is run by BUPA Care Services Limited
and Mrs Butterfield’s placement was funded by Surrey County Council.

On 25 July 2015 Mrs Butterfield was eating her lunch in the dining room
when she was noticed to be slumped over in her wheelchair. A nurse
attended and checked Mrs Butterfield’s mouth and did not see any food,
she positioned her so as to maintain her airway and slapped her on the

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back. She then arranged for Mrs Butterfield to be wheeled to her
bedroom where she was placed in the recovery position on her bed.
Another nurse then repeatedly slapped Mrs Butterfield on the back and
used a suction machine to remove food from her mouth and the opening
of her throat. The court heard evidence that the suction machine was not
capable of removing food from Mrs Butterfield’s airway. Mrs Butterfield
was then placed on the floor in preparation for carrying out Cardio-
Pulmonary Respiration (CPR). However, CPR was not ultimately
attempted because Mrs Butterfield had a valid Do Not Attempt to
Resuscitate (DNAR) order in place, and her death was confirmed by
attending paramedics at 13:09. The court heard evidence that repeated
back blows were not attempted until Mrs Butterfield had been
transferred to her room and placed on the bed and that no attempt was
made to carry out any abdominal thrusts, in contravention of the BUPA
policy on choking.

5 | CORONER’S CONCERNS

Having heard evidence from a number of members of the nursing staff, I
am concerned that not all staff members have a sufficient knowledge and
understanding of the BUPA policy on choking, so as to be able to
effectively implement it in the future. I am also concerned that not all
staff members have a sufficient understanding of when potentially life-
saving treatment should be provided to individuals in respect of whom a
DNAR order is in place.

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are:

- Notall staff members have a sufficient knowledge and
understanding of the BUPA policy on choking so as to be able to
effectively implement it in the future.

- Notall staff members have a sufficient understanding of when
potentially life-saving treatment should be provided to individuals
in respect of whom a DNAR order is in place.

Consideration should be given to whether any steps, including further
training, can be taken to address the above concerns.

6 | ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I
believe that the people listed in paragraph one above have the power to
take such action.

7 | YOUR RESPONSE

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You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of its date; I
may extend that period on request.

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

8 | COPIES
Thave sent a copy of this report to the following:
1.
2. Surrey Heath Locality Team, Surrey County Council
3, Care Quality Commission
4, The Chief Coroner

Signed:

ANNA CRAWFORD

DATED this 25 day of January 2017

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