Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2021

Denton Duhaney

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2021-0200, written 9 Jun 2021. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report9 Jun 2021
Reference2021-0200
DeceasedDenton Duhaney
CoronerMary Burke
Coroner areaWest Yorkshire Western Division
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths · Mental Health related deaths · Suicide (from 2015)
Organisation namedSouth West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching 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.

IN THE WEST YORKSHIRE (WESTERN) CORONER’S COURT
IN THE MATTER OF:

The Inquest Touching the Death of Denton Donovan DUHANEY
A Regulation Report — Action to Prevent Future Deaths

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

1. The Chief Executive of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
2. The Chief Executive South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

1 CORONER

| am Mary Burke Assistant Coroner for the area of West Yorkshire Western Division.

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

Inquest opened 12! July 2019 into the death of Denton Donovan Duhaney
Inquest concluded 30 March 2021

| recorded the medical cause of Mr Duhaney’s death was due to Hanging (Asphyxia) and
a conclusion of suicide

4 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

On the 22"4 June 2019, Mr Duhaney had been admitted to the Accident and Emergency
Department of Dewsbury District Hospital with both physical and mental health concerns.

He was assessed by a nurse from the Psychiatric team, who recommended he should be
admitted as an informal patient on to a psychiatric ward. However, no bed was available
and he was therefore transferred to Pinderfield’s Hospital early on the morning of the 23"
June 2019 and admitted on to the Acute Medical Assessment Unit.

Mr Duhaney underwent a further mental health assessment at 17.00hrs by a member of
the Wakefield Home Based Treatment team following a request by the Kirklees Home
Based Treatment team within whose area Mr Duhaney resided.

At this point a psychiatric hospital bed could still not be found within the area (Mr Duhaney
had requested to remain in the area as his partner was gravely ill).

At the time of this assessment an alternative treatment plan was agreed with Mr Duhaney
namely that when he was physically well enough to be discharged, he would be provided

with care and support in the community setting by the Kirklees Home Based Treatment
Team. At the time of this assessment Mr Duhaney was assessed as being at high risk of
further mental health deterioration.

Following assessment the Wakefield Home based Treatment team referred Mr Duhaney
back to the team in Kirklees.

It appears that at no time either at the time of transfer or during his admission was Mr
Duhaney referred to the psychiatric services within Pinderfield’s Hospital.

In the ensuing days the Kirklees Home Based Treatment team made telephone contact
with both Mr Duhaney and Acute Medical Assessment unit, leaving contact telephone
details and a request that they be contacted and notified when Mr Duhaney was to be
discharged.

It appears Doctors on the ward believed Mr Duhaney was awaiting a hospital Psychiatric
assessment.

On the afternoon of 25" June 2019 Mr Duhaney approached a member of the nursing
team at the nurses station and stated he wished to self-discharge.

Blood test results were still awaited. The nurse gave evidence at the inquest, she stated
that she spoke to a female doctor the identity of whom she could not recall advising her of
Mr Duhaney’s wishes, the doctor did not undertake an assessment upon Mr Duhaney, the
nurse proceeded to warn Mr Duhaney that his discharge was against Medical advice and
got him to sign the appropriate form.

The nurse in evidence stated she was unfamiliar with the trusts protocol document
“Standard Operating Procedure for Managing the Discharge of Patients.

Mr Duhaney left the hospital.

No hospital staff member contacted Kirklees Home Based Treatment Team of Mr
Duhaney’s self discharge.

The lead investigator of a Serious Incident Investigation Report undertaken by South West
Yorkshire Partnership Trust in respect of the involvement of Home Based Treatment
Teams stated in evidence that he was advised by the Modern Matron at Pinderfield's
Hospital that it was normal Practice of the hospital not to arrange follow up in the
community in these circumstances when it was planned for if, the patient self discharges.

Five days later on 30" June 2019 a staff member from Kirklees Home Based Treatment
team contacted Pinderfield’s Psychiatric Liaison Team seeking an update upon Mr
Duhaney, only to be advised that Mr Duhaney had self discharged 5 days previously.
Immediate steps were taken by Kirkiees Home Based Treatment to try and make contact
with Mr Duhaney to no gain. As a result the police were contacted who attended at his
home, now the early hours of 1% July 2019, they forced entry and found Mr Duhaney with
a length of medical plastic piping around his neck which had been secured to an adjoining
door handle, his death was confirmed a short time later by an attendant paramedic.

Mr Duhaney appeared to have been dead for some time, he was still wearing hospital
clothing beneath his own clothing.

5 CORONER’S CONCERNS

The MATTERS OF CONCERNS are as follows:

1. Mr Duhaney was a patient at Pinderfield’s Hospital between 239 and 25" June but at no
time was he assessed or receive treatment by the in house psychiatric team despite the
fact that he had an underlying psychiatric presentation.

2. Pinderfields hospitals discharge protocol does not appear to have been adhered to
when Mr Duhaney expressed a wish to self-discharge.

3. No one from Pinderfield’s Hospital contacted Kirklees Intensive Home Based Treatment
Team to notify them of Mr Duhaney’s self discharge.

4. Kirklees Home Based Treatment Team last had contact with Pinderfield’s Hospital on
24" June 2019. It was 6 days later that they made a further call to the hospital seeking an
update upon Mr Duhaney.

6 ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you (and/or
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 3 August 2021. 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.

8 COPIES and PUBLICATION

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

| 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.

®@ Klaleter tor MT. Boks

Dated: 9° June 2021

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 Fieldhead Hospital (PDF)
Ms M Burke 
Assistant Coroner 
Trafalgar House Police Station 
Nelson Street 
Bradford 
BD5 0DZ 

18.8.2021 

Dear Ma’am 

Deputy Chief Executive 
Director of Operations 
Trust Headquarters – Block 7 
Fieldhead Hospital 
Ouchthorpe Lane 
Wakefield 
WF1 3SP 

Regulation 28 Report Response – Denton Duhaney – 25th March 2021 and 30th  March 2021 

In response to the Regulation 28 report the Trust received on 21st  July 2021, we wish to respond 
with the following information. 

As you  will recall,  you  heard evidence regarding Regulation 28 matters in both written and oral 
evidence from Mr 
,  General  Manager  for  Gatekeeping  and  Liaison Services. 
  provided  two  statements  to  assist  with  the  proceedings;  these  were  dated  23rd 
Mr 
and  29th  March  2021.  This  response  builds  upon  the  evidence  provided  by  Mr 
  as 
part of the inquest proceedings. 

1.  Mr Duhaney was  a  patient at Pinderfield’s Hospital  between  23rd  and  25th  June  but at 
no  time  was  he  assessed  or  received  treatment  by  the  in  house  psychiatric  team 
despite the fact that he had an underlying psychiatric presentation 

The statement of Mr 

 dated 23rd  March 2021, paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2, stated: 

I  can  confirm  that  any  patients  assessed  by  a  Psychiatric  Liaison  Team  in  a  hospital 
setting remain on the team’s caseload until the patient leaves the hospital site. Therefore, 
if  the  patients  risk  change  prior  to  them  leaving  the  hospital  the  team  will  be  able  to 
provide a review of the patient and offer support as needed. 

The  Standard  Operational  Policy 
[Wakefield/Dewsbury  and 
the 
Calderdale/Kirklees  Psychiatric  Liaison  Team]  has  been  reviewed  and  amended  to 
ensure consistency of practice across the Trust’s Psychiatric Liaison Teams (e.g. there is 
no  difference  in  the  processes  of  the  Wakefield/Dewsbury  PLT,  and  the  Calderdale/HRI 
PLT as a result). 

teams 

two 

for 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 At  the  time  of  the  incident  the  Psychiatric  Liaison  Teams  came  under  different 
management  structures,  however,  in  January  2020  this  structure  was  amended,  and 
these  teams  are  now  within  the  same  Business  Delivery  Unit.  It  is  envisaged  that  the 
change  in  structure  will  support  the  function  of  the  services  by  ensuring  a  uniform 
management approach. 

In addition to the above information and changes, I can confirm that arrangements are made for 
there  to  be  a  handover  of  care  between  Psychiatric  Liaison  Teams  where  it  is  known  an 
individual  is  being  transferred  between  Acute  hospitals  in  the  Trust’s  area  of  operation.  The 
principle that the Psychiatric Liaison Teams maintain a patient on their caseload is an additional 
safeguard  that  was  not  present  within  Pinderfield’s  and  Dewsbury  District  Hospital  due  to  the 
  statement  of  23rd 
differing  Standard  Operational  Procedures  referred  to  in  Mr 
March 2021. 

2.  Pinderfields  hospitals  discharge  protocol  does  not  appear  to  have  been  adhered  to 

when Mr Duhaney expressed a wish to self-discharge. 

The above relates to the discharge protocol implemented by Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. 
We do not propose responding to this concern. 

3.  No  one  from  Pinderfield’s  Hospital  contacted  Kirklees  Intensive  Home  Based 

Treatment Team to notify them of Mr Duhaney’s self discharge. 

4.  Kirklees  Home  Based  Treatment Team last  had  contact  with Pinderfield’s  Hospital  on 
24th  June 2019. It was 6 days later that they made a further call to the hospital seeking 
an update upon Mr Duhaney. 

Points  3  and  4  above  have  elements  that  overlap,  and  we  have  therefore  responded  to  both 
below.  It  is  understood  that  Mid  Yorkshire  Hospital  NHS  Trust  will  also  provide  their  own 
response to point 3 as this can be interpreted to apply to both Trusts. 

The statement of Mr 

 dated 29th  March 2021, paragraphs 3 through 6, stated: 

During  the  course  of  the  inquest  proceedings  on  25th  March  2021,  evidence  was  heard 
that the Kirklees Intensive Home Based Treatment Team (IHBTT) did not have guidance 
on  how  and  when  to  maintain  contact  with  a  service  user  whilst  they  were  awaiting 
discharge from an acute hospital. 

It  has  historically  been  the  case  that  an  Acute  Hospital  would  ensure  that  follow  up 
arrangements  are  made,  and  the  agreements  are  met  at  the  point  of  discharge  (i.e.  to 
contact  the  relevant  services  on  discharge).  However,  on  hearing  the  evidence  of 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 witnesses  it  was  evident  an  additional  safety  netting  approach  would  be  required  and 
during  the  course  of  my  own  evidence,  I  suggested  that  this  was  an  area  that  required 
immediate  action.  This  statement  has  been  prepared  to  provide  an  update  to  HM 
Assistant Coroner, Ms Burke, on this particular point. 

I will today be  producing and disseminating guidance  to staff within  the  Trust community 
just  the  Intensive  Home  Based  Treatment  Team)  to  provide  clear 
services  (not 
instructions  around  maintaining  contact  with  a  service  user  awaiting  discharge  from  an 
acute  hospital,  but  equally  to  maintain  contact  with  the  Psychiatric  Liaison  Team  and/or 
Acute Ward to ensure a seamless transition of care into the community. 

The  above  is  intended  to  be  an  interim  measure  and  going  forward  a  more  detailed 
review of this issue will be undertaken. 

 and the relevant team 
Following further consideration of the interim guidance by Mr 
managers, the guidance  disseminated  on 29th  March 2021  is a sufficient  safety net to  ensure a 
seamless  transition  of  care  from  an  Acute  Hospital  to  Community  Mental  Health  Services. 
Assurances  have  been  provided  by  the  relevant  Services  Managers  that  contact  is  being 
maintained  with  service  users  awaiting  discharge  from  Acute  Care  Team  and  the  Psychiatric 
Liaison Team (if involved in the service users care). 

As  part  of  our  ongoing  partnership  working  with  Mid  Yorkshire  Hospitals  although  we  are 
responding to your concerns individually, we have had sight of each other’s response. 

I  do  hope  the  above  information  is  of  assistance  and  answers  the  concerns  raised  within  your 
Regulation  28  report  following  the  sad  death  of  Denton  Duhaney.  We  would  like  to  offer  our 
sincere condolences to Mr Duhaney’s family and friends. 

Yours faithfully, 

Deputy CEO 
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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