Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2020

Thomas Reilly

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2020-0043, written 25 Feb 2020. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report25 Feb 2020
Reference2020-0043
DeceasedThomas Reilly
CoronerVeronica Hamilton-Deeley
Coroner areaBrighton and Hove
CategoryCommunity health care · Mental Health related deaths · Suicide (from 2015) · Police related deaths
Organisation namedSussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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.

VERONICA HAMILTON-DEELEY DL, THE CORONER’S OFFICE

LL.B. WOODVALE, LEWES ROAD
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner BRIGHTON
for the City of Brighton & Hove BN2 3QB

Telephone: Brighton (01273) 292046
Fax: Brighton (01273) 292047

CORONERS SOCIETY OF ENGLAND AND WALES
ANNEX A
REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)

NOTE: This form is to be used after an inquest.

THIS REPORT [S BEING SENT TO:

1. Chief Constable Giles York - Sussex Police

2, Ee - Sussex Police
3 es — Sussex Police

1 CORONER

| am Veronica HAMILTON-DEELEY, Senior Coroner, for the City of Brighton and
Hove

2 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.

ec) INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 9" October 2019 | commenced an investigation into the death of Mr. Thomas
REILLY. The investigation concluded at the end of the Inquest on 13" February
2020, The conclusion of the inquest was that “HE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE”

4 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH
See Record of Inquest

BS) 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: —

(1) Mr Reilly visited Beachy head on the 1st of October 2019. His intention was
| to jump off but, when approached by the Chaplains, he changed his mind. Police

VERONICA HAMILTON-DEELEY DL, THE CORONER’S OFFICE

LL.B. WOODVALE, LEWES ROAD
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner BRIGHTON
for the City of Brighton & Hove BN2 3QB

Telephone: Brighton (01273) 292046
Fax: Brighton (01273) 292047

were called and after discussion and support they saw Mr Reilly safely on his way
back to Hove following his car for a while.

When the police officer arrived back at Eastbourne police station he raised a
safeguarding alert.

This alert was sent to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).

When received there it should have triggered fast onward transmission to the
appropriate agency to support Mr Reilly.

It was received at MASH at 15.33hrs on the 1st October but, although it had been
sent as soon as possible after the incident, it was clear from the evidence that it
stood no chance of being dealt with on the 1st.

(2) The alerts are graded low, medium and high risk.

The high risk alerts stand a chance of being dealt with timeously. This was graded
medium which was a reasonable assessment.

Everything else will be delayed. Indeed the alert for Mr Reilly was not dealt with until
12:40 hours on Friday, the 4th of October.

That is after lunch on a Friday.

(3) This alert was not dealt with again until Monday, the 7th of October when it
was sent to the mailbox of a named mental health social worker

rather than to the Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust generic mailbox where it
would have been actioned on the 7th.

As it was, it was received by P| on the morning of the 8th.

She actioned it at once.

Too late, Mr Reilly had been found dead early on the 3rd of October.

(4) if the alert had been actioned late on the 1st or early on the 2nd of October (as
| believe it should have been,) it would have produced an immediate reaction from |

who would have got in touch with Mr Reilly and arguably her
engagement with him may have prevented his suicide.

It was clear from the evidence | heard that the system is fundamentally flawed and
needs urgent review.

In my summing up | found that at the very least there was a missed opportunity to

prevent Mr Reilly’s suicide and indeed given that his relationship i
was good and strong it may well have been the only opportunity to prevent If.

6 ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you
AND your organisation have the power to take such action.

VERONICA HAMILTON-DEELEY DL, THE CORONER’S OFFICE

LL.B. WOODVALE, LEWES ROAD
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner BRIGHTON
for the City of Brighton & Hove BN2 3QB

Telephone: Brighton (01273) 292046
Fax: Brighton (01273) 292047

7 YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this
report, namely by 20" May 2020. |, 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.

8 COPIES and PUBLICATION

| have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested
Persons

1. — Brother

2. Sister

ee | - Sister

4, - Brother

5. Ms Samantha Allen — Chief Executive, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation

Trust

6, CE — Head of Legal Services, Sussex Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust

7. — Lead Practitioner Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation
Trust

8. Secretary of State for Health, Department of Health

9. Simon Stevens, Chief Executive, NHS England

10.Mr. David Behan — Chief Executive CQC

11 EE Brighton & Hove ccG

| 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.

9 | Date: 25 February 2020 SIGNED BY: //,,

yeh ~ \ 4

4

Senior Coroner for the City of Brighton and Hove

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