Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2024

Suzanne Eccles

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2024-0502, written 19 Sep 2024. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report19 Sep 2024
Reference2024-0502
DeceasedSuzanne Eccles
CoronerChris Morris
Coroner areaGreater Manchester South
CategoryHospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

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

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS   

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:  
Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 

CORONER 

, Chief Executive, Tameside and Glossop 

I am Chris Morris, Area Coroner for Greater Manchester (South). 

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://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/25/schedule/5/paragraph/7 
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1629/part/7/made 

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST 

On 10th April 2024, Alison Mutch, Senior Coroner for Greater Manchester (South), opened an inquest 
into the death of Suzanne Rose Eccles who died on 3rd March 2024 at Tameside General Hospital, 
Ashton-under-Lyne, aged 72 years.  The investigation concluded with an inquest which I heard on 
13th September 2024. 

The inquest determined that Mrs Eccles died as a consequence of:- 

1)  a) Pneumonia and Empyema;  

b) Lung Cancer (operated 16th February 2024)    

II Ischaemic Heart Disease 

The conclusion of the inquest was a Narrative Conclusion, to the effect that Mrs Eccles died as a 
consequence of complications arising from necessary surgery which had not been identified in the 
course of previous hospital attendances.   

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH 

Mrs Eccles died on 3rd March 2024 at Tameside General Hospital having developed Pneumonia and 
Empyema against a background of recent surgery for lung cancer.  Her death was contributed to by 
Ischaemic Heart Disease.  In the days leading up to her death, Mrs Eccles had been seen in the Same 
Day Emergency Care Unit and Emergency Department, and also been a patient on the Virtual Ward. 

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. – 

Whilst the court heard evidence as to significant work which has been undertaken following the 
Trust’s detailed investigation into the circumstances leading to Mrs Eccles’s death, it is a matter of 

 
 
 concern that no system currently operates whereby clinicians working in the Emergency Department 
can easily access records made by colleagues working on the Virtual Ward. 

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN   

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

YOUR RESPONSE   

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by 
14th November 2024. 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. 

COPIES and PUBLICATION   

I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner, Mrs Eccles’s daughter and son-in-law, and the 
Trust’s legal team.   

I have also sent a copy to the Care Quality Commission and NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care 
who may find it useful or of interest.   

I 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:   

19th September 2024 

Signature:     Chris Morris, Area Coroner, Manchester South.

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 Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (PDF)
Chief Executive Officer 
 Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust  
Silver Springs  
Fountain Street  
Ashton under Lyne  
Lancashire OL6 9RW 

4th April 2025 

FAO Mr Morris 
HM Coroner  
Coroner’s Court  
1 Mount Tabor Street  
Stockport  
Cheshire  
SK1 3AG 

FURTHER INFORMATION, FOLLOWING THE INQUEST TOUCHING ON THE DEATH OF 
MRS SUZANNE ECCLES 

Reference: 35766784  

I am writing to you following the inquest touching on the death of Mrs Suzanne Eccles, which 
concluded on 13th September 2024. 

Firstly,  please  accept  my  apologies  for  the  delay  in  providing  this  response.  The  letter  will 
explain the Trusts’ immediate work undertaken following the inquest, however, the wider work 
has taken longer than originally anticipated to review, approve and implement.  

Following the inquest, you raised some concerns that no system currently operates whereby 
clinicians  working  in  the  Emergency  Department  can  easily  access  records  made  by 
colleagues working on the virtual ward. The Trust have reviewed this process, what is currently 
in place and what we plan to do to enable records to be shared. 

Health and social care organisations in Greater Manchester have established the GM Care 
Record (GMCR) and is operated by Graphnet. It is an evolution of locality-based care records 
already live in Greater Manchester (e.g. Manchester Care Record, Bolton Care Record etc). 
However,  it  collates  patient  information  from  across  Greater  Manchester  into  one  place, 
making it easily accessible for health and care professionals to inform direct care from across 
geographies and organisations. 

The record brings together data from:  

•  Primary/Secondary Care (GPs/Hospitals)  
•  Mental Health  
•  Community  
•  Specialist Trusts (including the Christie)  
•  Social Care 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 GMCR  provides  real-time  access  to  a  single,  secure  shared  care  record,  and  allows  care 
professionals  to  communicate  and  collaborate safely  and  effectively  across  disciplines  and 
organisations.  Professionals  working  in  hospital,  community,  primary  care  and  social  care 
services have immediate access to the same up-to-date patient information. The user should 
then click through to access more detailed information for that patient from that organisation. 
It will not replace the Trusts’ existing care records system, but it will connect it to the GMCR.  

Whilst Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust have access to this care 
record over the last few years, as a Trust we have reviewed this and consider we can, and 
will, utilise this more.  

The Trusts’ Neighbourhood Clinical Lead has engaged in multiple discussions with the GMCR 
Team  and  the  Chief  Digital  Office  for  Greater  Manchester  Integrated  Care  Partnerships 
(GMICB)  who  have  confirmed  that  the  Trust  can  have  access  to  the  system.  The  Change 
Control  Notice  (CCN)  was  sent  to  be  switched  on  circa  16th  October  2024  and  we  were 
informed it would take 3-4 weeks but this was subject to delay from the provider. It was hoped 
that this would have been completed sooner but was subsequently delayed due to a financial 
barrier. This has now been resolved.  

There is now a draft contract in place with Docobo which we anticipate will be sign off by 7th 
April 2025 meaning the CNN can then be enacted. We have also had to collaborate with the 
Information Governance Lead at the ICB in relation to matters concerning GDPR so that we 
can ensure there will be no issues with this moving forward.  

Subject to the above all being signed off, the Docobo icon on the GMCR is intended to go live 
on 16th April 2025. Clinical safety has been carried out by the Trusts’ Chief Clinical Information 
Officer  so that  all  ED  staff  can  see  the  virtual  ward  patient  observation,  then the  Trust  will 
commence the training of all ED and Digital Health staff on the GMCR which we anticipate will 
take 3-6 weeks to implement, from 16th April 2025.  

Until  the  GMCR  goes  live,  all  patients  admitted  to  the  virtual  ward  have  an  alert  added  to 
community EMIS informing that the patient is on the virtual ward. EMIS is a clinical software 
system used in primary care, acute care and community pharmacy. Following the period of 
care, this alert is removed. Once the GMCR is operational, the alert process will remain on 
EMIS but will be changed to prompt clinicians to review the GMCR record/care plans. This will 
be led by Digital Health.  

A hard copy of the virtual ward is being printed off daily by Digital Health and a copy is provided 
to the reception team in the Emergency Department (ED), so that out of hours and ED are 
aware of who is being monitored.   

In  addition  to  the  above,  an  electronic  Virtual  Ward  Patient  Management  Board  has  been 
created and is available across the acute organisation, with live and current patient updates 
across all departments. Bed managers are able to see and access this Ward Board. It is just 
out of development and is being moved to the Emergency Departments Clinical Portal System, 
so that it will make it easier to see the list of patients currently under the care of the Virtual 
Ward. The board provides information about the level of risk that a patient is at whilst on Virtual 
Ward and the number of contacts that they have had each day and what condition they are 
being monitored/supported at home for. This board enables ED Teams to have full access to 
patients twenty-four hours each day, seven days a week.  

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Once  the  GMCR  record  is  operational,  ED  will  have  their  own  direct  access  to  the  GMCR 
through the icon.  Until this is launched on 16th April 2025, there is an alert process on Lorenzo 
that will prompt staff to review the position on Virtual Ward which has been in place since the 
inquest in September 2024. 

I do hope that this letter provides you with further reassurance following the inquest, however, 
should you have any queries arising from the content of this letter or require further information 
  or 
or  clarification,  please  do  not  hesitate  to  contact  Legal  Services  on 

Yours sincerely,  

Medical Director 
On behalf of 
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 

 (Chief Executive Officer)

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