Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2019

Marcie Tadman

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2019-0118, written 1 Apr 2019. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report1 Apr 2019
Reference2019-0118
DeceasedMarcie Tadman
CoronerMaria Voisin
Coroner areaAvon
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths
Organisation namedRoyal United Hospitals Bath 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.

M. E. Voisin
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner
- Area of Avon

13th March 2019 REF: 8772

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

1. Royal United Hospital, Bath

2. Accountable Office, BANES CCG

CORONER

lam M E Voisin Senior Coroner for Area of Avon

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.

http://www. legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/25/schedule/S/paragraph/7

http://www. legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1629/part/7/made

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 04/07/2018 | commenced an investigation into the death of Marcie Joan TADMAN.
The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest 12th March 2019.

The conclusion of the inquest was Natural Causes Contributed to by Neglect

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Marcie Tadman died on 5th December 2017 at Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath. She had been
admitted to hospital on 4th December 2017 with pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion. She was not
referred to the regional unit for treatment of this condition. She had sepsis and there was a failure to
recognise and to manage and/or treat sepsis. There were failures to follow the procedures and protocols
set nationally or by the hospital. The communication each and every time when discussing Marcie
between members of the team was unsatisfactory. All handovers failed to take the opportunity to review
Marcie with fresh eyes. The combination of: poor communication between all staff caring for Marcie; the
failure to follow any hospital protocols; the lack of proactive review and poor decision making came
together to contribute to her death.

The medical cause of death:

1a Disseminated group A streptococcal infection including empyema, bronchopneumonia and
pyelonephritis

Telephone 01275 461920
Email AvonCoronersTeam @bristol.gcsx.gov.uk Website www.avon-coroner.com
The Coroner's Court, Old Weston Road, Flax Bourton, BS48 1UL

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. —

RUH

| heard from the independent expert Dr. Ninis that the only opportunity for Marcie to be picked
up with fresh eyes would have been at another ward round.

| understand that this would be an opportunity for a Consultant to take a step back and review
the notes, charts, PEWS and results; examine the patient and to make a plan. In Marcie’s case
everyone agreed that all of the information was there in her records but no one carried out this
exercise; there was and is no second ward round on the paediatric ward at the RUH.

| indicated to the RUH that | had received further information from | | in relation toa
second ward round and this is attached.

Accountable Offices for BANES CCG

| was also made aware at the inquest that there is no High Dependency Unit (HDU) facility on
the RUH paediatric ward for children in their care and this was something that they were hoping
to provide but needed to create a business case to the Accountable Offices for BANES CCG for

this.

In Marcie’s case she should/would have been placed in such a unit had one been at the RUH at
the time.

Telephone 01275 461920
Email AvonCoronersTeam@bristol.gcsx.gov.uk Website www.avon-coroner.com
The Coroner's Court, Old Weston Road, Flax Bourton, BS48 1UL

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you 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 23"
May 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

| have sent a copy of my report to the chief coroner and to the following interested persons — family, |
land to the LOCAL SAFEGUARDING BOARD (where the deceased was under

18)].
| 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.

01/04/2019
le

Signature Lo

ME Voisin Sénior Coroner Area of Avon
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Telephone 01275 461920
Email AvonCoronersTeam@bristol.gcsx.gov.uk Website www.avon-coroner.com
The Coroner's Court, Old Weston Road, Flax Bourton, BS48 1UL

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 Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust (PDF)
28th May 2019 

HM Senior Coroner for Avon 
Coroner’s Court 
Old Weston Road 
Flax Bourton  
BS48 1UL 

Dear Madam 

Marcie Joan Tadman - Response to Regulation 28 Report 

Directors Office 
Royal United Hospital 
Combe Park 
Bath 
BA1 3NG 

Tel: 01225 824032 

www.ruh.nhs.uk  

… 

Please see the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust’s response to the 
Regulation 28 Report issued on 1st April 2019. 

1)  There is no second consultant ward round on the Paediatric Ward 

The Trust has identified that an additional consultant evening session (4 hours) 
would be required each day to enable it to deliver a second ward round which would 
not only encompass new admissions but any patient about whom a concern had 
been raised, including patients receiving critical care. This is not a change in 
practice that the Trust has been able to deliver immediately. The ability to do this is 
directly linked to the provision of a Paediatric Critical Care Unit and therefore the 
plans outlined below presented to the commissioners take clear account of a 
second ward round being integral to this development. 

As the Learned Coroner also raised concern about the lack of a permanent 
paediatric High Dependency Unit (referred to here as Paediatric Critical Care), the 
Trust has, on 21st May 2019, shared  a briefing paper with its commissioners, 
detailing what would be required to deliver paediatric critical care. This sets out a 
requirement to do the following: 

1.  Increase in medical staffing to provide an additional evening ward round. 
2.  Increase in nursing staffing to ensure rota can provide a 0.5:1 ratio for a 

Paediatric Critical Care Unit. 

3.  Invest in additional equipment, eg monitoring. 
4.  Redesign the ward to establish a fit for purpose Paediatric Critical Care Unit on 

the children’s ward. 

If the Trust’s Commissioners are satisfied with the Trust’s proposals, the RUH are 
aiming to deliver not only twice daily consultant ward rounds, but paediatric high 
dependency care by Winter 2019. The position of the Commissioners will be set out 
in their response to the Regulation 28 Report forwarded to them, however, if they 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 were not in a position to support the Trust’s paediatric critical care plans, the Trust 
would still be looking for additional funding to support twice daily consultant ward 
rounds.  

The RUH would like to offer its assurances that it continues to review the other 
actions and improvements identified during this tragic inquest and it is satisfied that 
the improvements already made to matters such as handover documentation have 
increased the safety of the children on the paediatric ward. 

The Trust is willing to provide a further update in relation to the progress that has 
been made concerning twice daily consultant ward rounds and the creation of a 
critical care unit in six months’ time, if that would provide additional reassurance to 
the Court and Marcie’s family. 

… 

We trust that this response offers you sufficient assurances in relation to our actions 
following the Inquest into this tragic case. 

Yours sincerely 

James Scott 
Chief Executive 

cc. 

Tracey Cox, Chief Executive Officer, BSW STP 

…

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