Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2019

Euan Ellis

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2019-0264, written 22 Aug 2019. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report22 Aug 2019
Reference2019-0264
DeceasedEuan Ellis
CoronerIan Arrow
Coroner areaPlymouth, Torbay and South Devom
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) 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.

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for Plymouth Torbay and South Devon

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

Dr Philip Hughes, Medical Director, Derriford Hospital Trust

CORONER

lan Michael Arrow, Senior Coroner for Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon

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/5/paragraph/7

hitp:/Awww. legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1629/part/7/made

3 INVESTIGATION and INQUEST
Following an Inquest opened on 10 December 2018 and an Inquest Hearing on 22 August
2019 the following was found:
Name of the deceased: Euan David Brinley ELLIS
Medical Cause of death: 1a) Haemopericardium

b) Ruptured Aneurysm of Ascending Thoracic Aorta
c) Marfan’s Syndrome

4 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH
The deceased, together with his close and extended family, live with Marfan's Syndrome. He
therefore had a cardiac vulnerability. He had missed a number of scheduled cardiac
appointments. He was admitted to an Emergency Department with a history of chest pains on 19
November 2017. A clinical decision was made not to carry out further tests but to refer him to a
primary carer, namely his General Practitioner, for a future appointment. It appears the
Emergency Department had limited access to the deceased's Health Records. On the balance of
probability the clinical decision maker would have been better informed had the decision maker
had such access fo all Medical Records. The deceased attended his General Practitioner on 20
November 2017. That Doctor referred the deceased for a non urgent Echocardiogram. That
Doctor appeared to have limited information about the deceased's cardiac vulnerability. The
deceased suffered a fatal Haemopericardium at home on 23 November 2017.

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. —

[BRIEF SUMMARY OF MATTERS OF CONCERN]

At the Inquest the Coroner received evidence ror as "° referred to a multi
disciplinary investigation which contained recommendations. The Coroner is concerned to be

assured that the recommendations are being followed.

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.

| request that you review the steps taken to put in place the recommendations referred to by ||
EEE hich, for ease of reference, are attached to the letter accompanying this Report.

Kindly report the steps taken so far. Kindly provide an update in six month’s time as to the
expected completion date of the recommendations.

YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by
Enter date of response . |, 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

a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested Persons
nd the Local Safeguarding Board (where the deceased was under 18)]. | have
also sent it to who may find it useful or of interest.

| 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.

Dated 22 August 2019

Signature.

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