Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2017

Naomi Sourbut

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, written 19 Dec 2017. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report19 Dec 2017
DeceasedNaomi Sourbut
CoronerJohn Tomalin
Coroner areaExeter and Greater Devon
CategoryAlcohol, drug and medication related deaths · Community health care and emergency services related deaths
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.

ANNEX A-

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)

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

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

1. Devon Partnership Trust
Wonford House
Dryden Road
Exeter
EX2 5AF

CORONER

| am John Geoffrey Tomalin, assistant coroner, for the coroner area of Exeter and
Greater Devon.

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.

ol

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 23 May 2017 | commenced an investigation into the death of Naomi Clare
SOURBUT aged 26 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 4gth
December 2017. The medical cause of death was:

4a Hypoxic Brain Injury

1b Medication Overdose (most probably Venlafaxine)

A narrative conclusion was given as follows:

Naomi Clare Sourbut died from Hypoxic Brain Injury following a self-administered

overdose of medication, most probably Venlafaxine, a drug prescribed to treat her
depression.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Ms Sourbut had a history of anxiety and depression. In her late teens she self-harmed
and this continued, she also became bulimic. She engaged with Primary Care
practitioners and Secondary Care in the form of the Community Mental health team.
She engaged with that team between May and December 2016 and re-engaged in
March 2017 by referral from her GP. She was prescribed the anti-depressant
Venlafaxine.

Ms Sourbut had met with her Community Mental Health practitioner on the 27 March
2017, discussed her condition and this person had previously been her care co-
ordinator. A new care co-ordinator was to be appointed with effect from the 3° April
2017. There was a review of her medication and recommendations were sent to her
GP. Ms Sourbut was advised to contact the duty team at the CMHT should she feel

unwell, She was also under the care of a private therapist fo assist with her eating
disorder.

34st March 2017 following a conversation with her General Practitioner, she contacted
the Community Mental Health practitioner duty officer advising that she was self-
harming, she also advised that she had suicidal ideation and also sufficient medications
to overdose on. Though asked by the officer who spoke with her if she would take the
overdose she denied this. She was agreeable to input from the Crisis Resolution Home
Treatment team (CRHT) and the duty officer agreed to make a referral call and let her
know what the CRHT team said. The officer contacted the CRHT who accepted the
referral, The officer then made one attempt to contact Ms Sourbut when she did not
answer her mobile telephone and left a message on her voicemail advising her that
CRHT team would be in contact that evening and encouraged her to contact 999 or
present herself to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital if she was concerned for her
safety and about to take an overdose.

Ms Sourbut’s GP attempted to contact her at 6pm that same day and left a message.
She called again at 6.43pm but was unable to speak with Ms Sourbut so the GP called
the landline at her parent’s home, her father then discovered his daughter unconscious
in her room. Ms Sourbut was then taken by ambulance to the Royal Devon and Exeter
Hospital where she died on the 2" April 2017.

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) Aroot cause analysis investigation was undertaken by the Devon Partnership Trust
and that report was finalised on the 8" September 2017. The report contained a number
of identified lessons learned and recommendations, ten in total (see attached annexe),
applicable to different teams within Devon Partnership Trust.

It was unclear at the Inquest as to whether or not these recommendations have been
considered and acted upon by the teams to which they were directed particularly where
clients have talked of suicidal ideation and identified the means with which to bring
about their death.

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you and your
organisation has to take such action to confirm the recommendations in the root cause
analysis report File No: 2017/10523 NON ANON RCA JHNS 148.9.17 — having been
considered and implemented.

(2) In addition where an individual has indicated an intent to cause themselves harm
and have advised clinicians they have access to the means to cause that harm then
protective factors should be put in place to help reduce the risk of the individual harming
themselves in the way they have indicated or otherwise.

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.

YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 26 March 2018. 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

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

GP Bethune — St Leonard’s Practice

1 am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response,

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both ina 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 Yen response by the Chief Coroner.

[DATE] arn

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