Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2021

Timothy Steele

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2021-0076, written 15 Mar 2021. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report15 Mar 2021
Reference2021-0076
DeceasedTimothy Steele
CoronerVeronica Hamilton-Deeley
Coroner areaCity of Brighton and Hove
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) 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

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 IS BEING SENT TO:

1. rp Chief Executive - Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation
rust

2. chair of the Board of Governors, Sussex Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust

3. ME - Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

4. ES — Senior Independent Director - Sussex Partnership
NHS Foundation trust

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.

3 INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 14 August 2020 | commenced an investigation into the death of Timothy
Julian STEELE The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 10th
March 2021. The conclusion of the inquest was “HE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE”

4 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Tim Steele was a 28 year old man with, effectively, a lifelong history of low
mood and depression with suicidal ideation. He described his first suicide
attempts as taking place before he was 10 years old. He was socially
isolated and this was emphasised when he was furloughed from work and
spending most of his time alone in his studio flat in Brighton. During 2020he
made five or six attempts to kill himself. Prior to that, he had been in the care
pf the Children and Adolescents Mental Services, had had an informal
admission following suicidality in 2014. Had a further episode of treatment
from 2017-2018 and finally came to the attention of Sussex Partnership

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

Foundation Trust again in May 2020. He registered with a GP in Brighton on
the 12th May 2020. The service he received from the GP practice was
excellent. From the evidence | FIND that their processes served Tim
appropriately until after his assessment on 11th June 2020. The Mental
Health practitioner referred him to the East (Brighton) Assessment and
Treatment Service following the assessment. He wrote an excellent letter to
the GP and copied it to Tim. This explained what Tim could expect but
tragically nothing happened. Tim's referral was lost. Tim waited for the
expected input. By late on 6th August when asked how he feels, he replies "if
anything it's making it worse because of how...... my head feels as a result".
On 10th August he died at his home address.

See Record of Inquest
Ls 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. Steele was lost to ATS follow up apparently due to inefficient processes and
a failure to appreciate the urgent need to appoint a Lead Practitioner for him. In
particular the focus and delivery of the Care Programme Approach (CPA) as set
out in national guidance “Refocusing the CPA- Policy and Positive Practical
Guidance” does not appear to have been followed.

(2) In addition Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust appears to take a fragmented
approach to its policies. Business is conducted in one way in Brighton and in
another way, for example, in East or West Sussex and yet patients could be in
Sussex depending on availability. They would apparently be dealt with
differently depending on their geographic location.

At Tim Steele’s Inquest it was clear that staff members were not aware o how
matters would be dealt with in other parts of Sussex.

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.

7 YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this
report, namely by 5% June 2021. |, 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.

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

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

|. Father

2. Secretary of State for Health, Department of Health
ke Executive, NHS England
Chief Executive, CQC

. Dr Brighton and Hove CCG,
. ER — Head of Quality & Nursing CCG

8 COPIES and PUBLICATION

Od ow

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.

9 Date: 15% March 2021 SIGNED BY:

a

Senior Coroner Brighton and Hove

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