Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2018

Michael Hopkins

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2018-0331, written 1 Oct 2018. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report1 Oct 2018
Reference2018-0331
DeceasedMichael Hopkins
CoronerMartin Fleming
Coroner areaWest Yorkshire (West)
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths
Organisation namedBradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation 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.

IN THE WEST YORKSHIRE WESTERN CORONER’S COURT
IN THE MATTER OF:

The Inquests Touching the Death of Michael Christopher Hopkins
A Regulation Report — Action to Prevent Future Deaths —

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
1 | CORONER

'| Martin Fleming HM Senior Coroner for West Yorkshire Western

| 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 20 of the Coroners
(Investigations) Regulations 2013

3 | INVESTIGATION and INQUEST ;
On 14/6/17 I opened an inquest into the death of Michael Christopher
Hopkins who, at the date of his death was aged 55 years old. The inquest
was resumed and concluded on 24/9/18

-| [found that the cause of death to be: -

‘) la. Pulmonary Thromboembolism

.| Ib Fracture of Right Patella (operated 13/5/17)

I concluded with a narrative conclusion as follows:
On 9/5/17 Michael Christopher Hopkins had an unwitnessed fall in the
‘garden of his home address. When taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary, an
x-ray indicated that he had sustained a multi-fragmentary fracture of. his
right patella, which required surgery to correct on 13/5/17, which went |
without event, and he was discharged on 16/5/17.. Subsequently, on
9/6/17, he collapsed at his home address with difficulties breathing, but
notwithstanding the attempts of paramedics to resuscitate him, he died |
| from a pulmonary thromboembolism, a known complication of his
|__| surgery of 13/5/17. -

*“ RT3589 1

4 | CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

At approximately 4.15pm on 9/6/17 Mr Hopkins had an unwitnessed fall
in the garden of his home address. When taken to Bradford Royal
Infirmary he was found to have sustained a multi fragmentary fracture of
his right patella. Surgery to correct it was carried out on 13/5/17 to
correct it, which went without event and he was discharged on 16/5/17.
Thereafter post operatively Mr Hopkins struggled with his mobility and
complained of pain in his lower ankle and upper thigh. Given the
severity of the pain Mr Hopkins visited his GP on 8/5/17 since he thought
it was an infection of his wound. After examination the GP confirmed
that his wound was not infected and it was dressed. The next day of
9/6/17 he suffered his collapse and died at his home address.

CORONER’

CONCERNS
The MATTER OF CONCERN is as follows. —

e To review current practice guidelines with respect to the
information provided to patients on discharge from hospital that
may be at risk of the formation of thromboembolisms given they -
have had recent surgery after sustaining a trauma.

6 | ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I
believe that Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation-Trust are in a
position to take such action. .

(ies SR

7 | YOUR RESPONSE

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. ;

RT3589 2

COPIES |
Thaye sent a copy of this report to:

- wife of Mr Hopkins
| Orthopaedic Surgeon —
— Inquest Manager
Chief Coroner .

DATED this 1/10/18 M. D. Fleming - Senior Coroner
fA D (West Yorkshire —- Western) ©

RT3589 3

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 Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Trust (PDF)
NHS

Bradford Teaching Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust

Our Ref: CLK/hih Clive Kay

Chief Executive

: Trust Headquarters

27" November 2018 Chestnut House

Mr M.D. Fleming pe

Senior Coroner uc ane

West Yorkshire — Western Bradford BD9 6RJ

City Courts Tel: 01274 382043
The Tyris

BD1 1LA
Dear Mr Hem

| am writing in response to your letter of 2" October 2018, in relation fo the inquest, which
touched the death of Michael Christopher Hopkins. In your letter, you requested a response
in relation to the ‘Regulation Report-Action to Prevent Future Deaths’. ,

The Foundation Trust has been working hard to ensure that all eligible patients receive an
assessment of their risk of developing blood clots, and can demonstrate consistent
compliance with the relevant key performance indicators. Since the Regulation Report was
received, we have reviewed the information provided to ail patients (not just those who have
experienced a trauma), following that assessment of risk, and as a result, the Trust has
developed a revised leaflet that all patients will receive. | have attached an example of the
leaflet to this letter, and confirm this leaflet will be introduced from the 1*t December 2018.

Our Quality Committee has asked for further assurance at a future meeting in relation to the
consistency with which the leaflet is used (for instance the verbal advice which is given),
and also its impact on the patients who receive it.

We are, as a Foundation Trust, committed to learning from incidents where there were
modifiable or preventable factors, and | believe that the summary of our response
demonstrates this commitment.

Yours sincerely

‘Clive Kay
Chief Executive

Professor Clive Kay Professor Bill McCarthy
Chief Executive Chairman

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