Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2018

[REDACTED]

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2018-0405, written 21 Dec 2018. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report21 Dec 2018
Reference2018-0405
Deceased[REDACTED]
CoronerJohn Ellery
Coroner areaShropshire, Telford and Wrekin
CategorySuicide (from 2015)
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text extracted from the PDF text layer. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS 

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO: 
1.

 Chief Executive,  Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust

CORONER 

I am Mr John Penhale Ellery, Senior Coroner, for the coroner area of Shropshire, Telford 
& Wrekin. 

CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS 

I 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  2nd  May  2018  I  commenced  an  investigation  into  the  death  of 

18  years  of  age,  and  opened  an  inquest  on  the  10th  May  2018.    The 
investigation  was  concluded  at  the  end  of  the inquest  on  the  14th  and  15th  November 
and 17th December 2018. 
The conclusion of the inquest was suicide.  
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH 

.    

was found deceased 

. She was found 

 had mental health issues starting from around 
15  to  16  years  of  age.  They  resulted  in  self-harm  and  2  suicide  attempts  the  last  of 
  both 
which  was  in  September  2017.    Mental  health  care  had  been  provided  to 
before and after her 18th birthday 
).  She was in contact with 
mental  health  services  up  until  the  evening  of  the  30th  April  2018  before  she  killed 
herself the next morning.  

CORONER’S CONCERNS 
On  the  evidence  various  issues  were  addressed  and  set  out  in  the  coroner’s 
determination  and  findings  and  can  be  referred  to  for  wider  reading.    Two  specific 
death but 
issues arose which could not be said to have caused or contributed to 
could in others.  

1  Delay in IAPT counselling 

a) After 

  turned  18  she  moved  to  adult  mental  health  services.  She  had

parallel contact with her GP surgery 

. Shortly before 

 18th birthday, according
  was  referred  to  Improving
to  the  MPFT  clinical  review  (page  9  of  33), 
Access  to  Psychological  Therapies  (IAPT)  by  the 
  Access  Team  for
assessment  for  psychological  therapy  or  counselling.  On  the  14th  November
2017  (page  12  of  33)  it  was  agreed  with 
  to  add  her  to  her  GP  surgery
waiting  list  for  counselling  in  line  with  her  treatment  preference.   
remained on the IAPT waiting list for counselling at the time of her death.

b) The evidence at the inquest was that a 3 month time interval would be optimal
  case,  in  relation  to  this  GP  surgery,  10  months  would  be  the
but  in 
norm.  Such  a  delay  is  sub-optimal  and  could  have  an  adverse  effect  on  a

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 

7 

8 

patient waiting for counselling to commence.   

2.   Risk assessment and progress notes. 

a)  The  electronic  records  were  hard  for  a  lay  person  to  follow  or  understand      
particularly when said to have been updated or validated with the potential for 
original entries to have been overwritten (as opposed to amended or deleted). 
If  the  user  of  the  system  understands  it  then  that  does  not  make  it  unfit  for 
purpose but it was not clear how a user would readily see what had originally 
been written. 

b)  This  is  distinct  from  progress  notes  and/or  risk  assessments  being  accurately 
recorded.  It  was  not  clear  when  and  how  often  risk  assessments  should  be 
updated  and  how  and  when  they  would  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the 
progress notes.  Were risk assessments intended to be summaries if a user did 
not  have  time  to  read  all  the  progress  notes?  What  function  were  they 
intended  to  serve?  Consideration  should  be  given  as  to  whether  the  system 
can be improved.   

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN 

In  my  opinion  action  should  be  taken  to  prevent  future  deaths  and  I  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 15th February 2019. 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 

I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Lanyon Bowdler solicitors for 
, father of 
, brother of 
, legal representative of the MPFT 

, mother of

. 

,

I am 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. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 9 

Mr John Penhale Ellery 
Senior Coroner 
Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin 

21st December 2018 

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 Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (PDF)
r4!1:ki 

Midlands Partnership 
NHS foundation Trust 
A Keele  University Teaching  Trust 

· Trust Headquarters 
..  St George's Hospital 
· Corporation Street 
Stafford 
ST163SR 

2nd February 2019 
· 

J.P. Ellery 
Senior Coroner 
HM Coroner's Services 
Shirehall 
Abbey Foregate 
Shrewsbury 
Shropshire; 
SY2 6ND 

Dear Mr Ellery 

RE: 
Report to Prevent Future 
Deaths 
Thank you for your letter dated 21st Decembe� 2018, reporting a matter to us, in acco�dance 
with Regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroner's (Investigations) Regulations 2013. · 

May I take this opportunity to reassure you that following 
undertook a thorough investigation into the care delivered by the Trust. 

 death, we 

Following discussions within the teams involved, I ani now in a position to respond to your 
specific concerns, where by you. stated you heard at the inquest during the course of the 
evidence: 

1.  Delay in IAPT Counselling 

 turned 18 she moved to Adult Mental Health Services. She had 

After 
parallel contact with her GP surgery in
Shortly before 

 18th birthday according to the 

MPFT Clinical Review 
(page 9 of 33), 
Therapies (IAPT) 

. 

 was referred to Improving Access to Psychological 

I

by'the 
On 14th November 2017 (page 12 of 33) it was agreed with 
her GP surgery waiting list for counselling in line with her treatment'preference. 

Access Team for assessment for psychological therapy or counselling. 
 to add her to 

 remained 

on the IAPT waiting list for counselling at the time of her death .. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The evidence at the inquest was that a 3 month time interval would be optimal but in 

fi'1:b1. 
Midlands Partnership 
NHS foundation Trust 
t
A Keele Universi
y Teaching Trust 

 case, in relation to this GP surgery, 10 months would be the norm. Such 

a delay is sub-optimal and could have an adverse effect on a patient waiting for 
counselling to commence. 

Historically,  counselling provision i
model and commissioned from a number of providers, including /APT. Since January 
2019 the commissioning arrangements for GP counselling i
changed, so that /APT will inefuture provide allecounselling provision across the county. 
The existing provision is person centred ineorientation  where the patient will be given 
information and then decide where they would prefer to be seen. 

has been provided from a practice•based 

haveebeen 

Theerevised model eligibility criteria will give the /APT service increased capacity, 
enabling greater flexibility with regard to where and when people can be seen. A 3-
month transitionaleperiod is currently underway during which a redesign ofthe /APT 
service is tak(ng place, whereby counselling provision will be more consistently provided 
across theecounty from a locality based mode./J  which is mo_re efficient and therefore it 
will be more· possible to  be flexible. in responding to changes in supply of staff to meet 
changes in demand thus reducing waiting times to within the statutory 18 week target. 
It is anticipated thateonce this work is completed, planned within a six month timescale, 
it will then beepossible to keep waiting times within theseerecommended limits. 

2.  The electronic records were hard for a lay person to follow or understand particularly 
when said to have been updated or validated with the potential for original entries to 
have bee,n overwritten (as opposed to amended or deleted). If the user of the system 
understands it then that does not make it unfit for purpose but it was not clear how a 
user would readily see what had originally been written. 

The Trust uses the Rio system for electronic patient records.  It is impossible for clinicale
staff to overwrite fields Jn Rio forms to change or delete an entry once it has been madee
without the system recording this. Records of all changes can be viewed by the cliniciane
through clicking on the "history" tab ..When a Subject Access Request is made, oure
Health Records department print out the most up to date record.  The "how to guides fore
the forms in Rio are currently being updated to instruct staff how to find the history ofe
an entry.  Where the previous versions are requested, these are printed out as secondarye
notes which include the dates the changes were made unfortunately,  at present the onlye
way to identify what the exact change was, 'is to compare the 2 sets of notes.  We aree
currently looking at further developing the system to address this issue.e

In regard to the validation of notes, legally it is only students who must have theire
records validated by a qualified member of staff. All other staff are required to validatee
their own entries.  The action of validating the entry represents the electronic signaturee
of the accuracy and confirmation of that entry.  The Trust has explored with our healthe
information colleagues whether the default could be an automatic validation which ise
then "unticked" but this is not achievable given that some staff must have their entriese

•• 
•�••MPFT

Related reports

Other reports by John Ellery

See all →

More reports categorised “Suicide (from 2015)”

See all →

Track Suicide (from 2015)

See every Prevention of Future Deaths report matching Suicide (from 2015), 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.