Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2022

Jason Lennon

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2022-0048, written 15 Feb 2022. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report15 Feb 2022
Reference2022-0048
DeceasedJason Lennon
CoronerGraeme Irvine
Coroner areaEast London
CategoryMental Health related deaths · Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths · Other related deaths
Organisation namedEast London NHS Foundation Trust
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses publishednone published

The report

Text extracted from the PDF text layer. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

MR G IRVINE 
ACTING  SENIOR CORONER 

EAST LONDON  CORONERS SERVICE 
ADULT LEARNING  COLLEGE,  127 RIPPLE  ROAD,  BARKING,  IG11 7PB 
Telephone 020 8496 5000 Email coroners@walthamforest .gov.uk 

REGULATION  28:  REPORT TO  PREVENT FUTURE  DEATHS (1) 

REGULATION 28  REPORT TO  PREVENT FUTURE  DEATHS 

THIS  REPORT IS  BEING SENT TO: 

Ministerial  Correspondence and  Public Enquiries Unit 
Department of Health and  Social Care, 39 Victoria Street.  London, SW1 H 
0EU 

Trust, 9 Alie  St,  London  E1  SOE 

, Chief Executive, ELFT, East London Foundation NHS 

Board,  NHS England, 

, National Medical Director,  The National Quality 

1 

CORONER 

I am  Graeme Irvine,  acting senior coroner,  for the coroner area of East London 

2 

CORONER'S LEGAL POWERS 

I 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:LLwww.legislation.gov.ukLukpgaL2009L25Lschedu1eLSLg_aragraphL7 
httg_:LLwww.legislation .gov.ukLuksiL2013L1629LpartL7 Lmade 

3 

INVESTIGATION and  INQUEST 

On  31 st  July 2019 Ms Nadia Persaud  opened an  investigation touching  upon the death 
of Mr Jason  Lennon,  a man  aged  37  years old . 

1 

 
 
 
 
 Ms Persaud opened an  inquest on  15th  August 2019 , the inquest was heard , before a 
jury commencing on  17th  January 2022 and concluding  on  11 th  February 2022. 

The conclusion  provided  by  the jury was a narrative conclusion arrived at through a 
questionnaire . 

The Jury made the following  conclusions; 

• 

Failures in  Jason's community mental health care contributed to  his 
death , 

•  Restraint used  by security officers at the  Excel centre contributed to 

Jason's death, 

•  Although the  use of restraint by  the security officers was necessary, the 

extent and  manner of that restraint was unreasonable, specifically; the 
level of force  used,  the location of the  restraint - on  the floor, Jason's 
position - prone , and  finally , the duration of that restraint. 

The medical cause of death was found  to  be; 

1.a.  Cardiorespiratory Arrest in  association with  Restraint and Acute  Psychotic 
Episode 

4 

CIRCUMSTANCES OF  THE DEATH 

Jason Lennon was a 37-year-old  man who lived  in  supported  accommodation , he  had  a 
medical  history of; anoxic brain  inju ry and  enduring  schizophrenic illness. Mr Lennon 
had  a history of periodic relapse resulting  in  acute psychosis and  an  associated 
increased  risk of harm to  self and  others, these relapses resulted  in  periods of 
involuntary inpatient treatment under Mental Health Act section . 

On  28th  July 2019 Mr Lennon assaulted another resident at his accommodation,  support 
staff assessed that Jason was in  re lapse, he was delusional, agitated  and  paranoid . 

Support staff reported  the  incident to  the police and the local  mental  health  services, the 
East London  Foundation  NHS Trust ("ELFT") Community Recovery Team ("CRT") , a 
drop-in  review was arranged at the CRT offices on  29/7/19. 

Nursing  staff at the CRT undertook a review of Mr Lennon,  the  patient left the meeting 
prior to  its conclusion.  The CRT assessed that Jason's mental state was stable and  he 
was not in  crisis. 

On  31 st  July 2019 Mr Lennon  left his accommodation  at 06.55hrs and  proceeded to 
Prince  Regent's Lane. A total  of 13 separate 999 calls were made to the  police over the 
next 35  minutes reporting  Jason's conduct.  The calls described  Mr Lennon acting  in  an 
unusual and confrontational  manner, assaulting  bystanders and walking  into traffic. 

Police officers responding  to these calls were directed to the Excel  Centre. Jason  had 
entered  the premises as  a trespasser,  pursuing a  member of the  public at 07.29 and  had 
been  restrained  by security staff at the venue. 

Officers found  Mr Lennon at 07 .35 , on  the floor, being  restrained  in  a  prone position  by a 
number of security officers. Jason was found  to  be  unresponsive, checks made found 
him  not to  be breathing , no  pulse could  be  located . Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was 
commenced and very swiftly,  the London Ambulance service attended.  Advanced  Life 
Support was commenced and Jason was transferred to hospital. Treatment continued  at 
the  hospital , however at 09 .31  further resuscitative  efforts were deemed futile and  life 

2 

 was pronounced extinct. 

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 could  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.  Expert  psychiatric  evidence  indicated  that  Mr Lennon  was  a  suitable  candidate 
for  the  Care  Programme  Approach  mental  health  pathway  and  that  the  use  of 
this  pathway would  have reduced  the  risk  of an  acute deterioration  in  his mental 
state . The  CRT  failed  to  effectively  monitor whether  Mr  Lennon  was  on  a  care 
pathway appropriate to his  needs. 

2.  The  CRT  undertook  a  flawed  review  of  Mr  Lennon's  mental  state  on  29/7/19 
which  failed  to  assess  that,  Jason  was  in  relapse  and  was  a  risk  of  harm  to 
himself and others. 

Factors which  contributed to this failure  included ; 

a.  CRT  staff  did  not  effectively  review  medical  records  prior  to  assessing 

Jason, 

b.  The  CRT  did  not  communicate  important  clinical  information  between 

themselves and  external stakeholders, 

c.  The  CRT  did  not  adequately  document  important  information  arising  from 

the assessment. 

3.  The  Trust  undertook  a  serious  incident  investigation  report  into  the  events 
leading  to  Mr  Lennon's  death  in  November  2019  which  made  a  series  of 
recommendations 
to  have  been 
incomplete by 6/2/22  due to errors attributable to  the Trust's governance team . 

for  action .  The  action  plan  was 

found 

4.  Accepted  individual  failings  by  staff within  the  CRT  fall  below  standards  set  by 
their  regulator.  There  is  no  evidence  before  the  court  to  assess  whether  ELFT 
have considered  the necessity to  make a referral to a regulator. 

6 

ACTION SHOULD BE  TAKEN 

In  my opinion action should  be  taken to  prevent future deaths and  I 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  13th  April 2022.  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 

I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following  Interested 
Persons the family of Mr Lennon,  the CQC and The Nursing and  Midwifery Council.  I 
have also sent it to  the  local director of Public Health who may find  it useful or of 
interest. 

I am also under a duty to  send  a copy of your response to  the Chief Coroner and  all 

3 

 interested persons who in  my opinion  should  receive  it. 

I may also send a copy of your response to any other person who I believe may find  it 
useful or of interest. 

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 . 

9 

[DATE]  15/02/2022 

[SIGNED BY CORONER] 

~N~ N.  Persaud, Area Coroner 

4

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