15 May 2017 Nature Barr · Prevention of Future Deaths report Inner North London
View report summary
Concerns raised 1 Lack of specific evidence that steps are being taken to address the described risk View source
Actions described in response An action is something this recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised. 9
Action
Research handheld Raman spectroscopy and mixture-analysis algorithms to improve rapid in-field identification of NPS and reduce reliance on forensic laboratory testing.
View source
Action
Collect data on NPS effects among people admitted to Highgate Mental Health Centre.
View source
Action
Conduct a collaborative study to generate evidence for policies controlling and reducing harms from NPS among vulnerable individuals.
View source
Action
Research and biologically test predicted next-generation NPS chemical scaffolds, incorporating active compounds’ spectral properties into identification models.
View source
Action
Develop and deliver NPS categorisation training for police officers and prison healthcare professionals to support treatment decisions.
View source
Action
Complete research developing spectroscopic and chemometric approaches, spectral libraries and databases for accurate NPS identification by non-experts.
View source
Action
Collaborate with French psychiatrists and addiction specialists to design a clinical tool for efficient NPS identification.
View source
Action
Lead collaborations with healthcare and pharmaceutical professionals to assess NPS knowledge and design education and training courses.
View source
Action
Develop and deliver training for police officers on using handheld Raman instruments to identify confiscated solid samples.
View source See 6 more actions
×
AI-generated summary
Nature Barr · Prevention of Future Deaths report
This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.
Report summary
Nature Barr, who was detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, was found collapsed and in cardiac arrest on 23 February 2016 and later pronounced deceased. The cause of death was unascertained; there was concern that Novel Psychoactive Substances may have caused or contributed to his death, although this could not be substantiated. The report also raised concern that there was no specific evidence that the associated risk was being addressed.
Read the report on judiciary.uk
× Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to University of Hertfordshire; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Lack of specific evidence that steps are being taken to address the described risk
Wider context from the report “In particular, I heard that positive steps have been taken by the NHS Trust involved in Mr Barr’s care to form a partnership with the University of Hertfordshire, in order to facilitate research into this area.
At the inquest into Mr Barr’s death there was no specific evidence adduced which reassured me that steps are being taken to address the risk described above. However, I believe that the Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substance Unit at the University of Hertfordshire may be able to provide such evidence. This is the reason I judged that my statutory duty to write this report was engaged.
” Open source report
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Research handheld Raman spectroscopy and mixture-analysis algorithms to improve rapid in-field identification of NPS and reduce reliance on forensic laboratory testing.
Verbatim wording from the response “Our efforts are also focused to improve in-field methods of NPS identification in products using analytical approaches (led by Dr Jacqueline Stair). The main approach we are currently researching in handheld Raman spectroscopy which allows the identification of key molecular scaffolds via the scattering of light. This tool is to enable the quick identification of NPS at borders, from seizures, or from individuals. Due to the > 650 NPS that exists, Raman spectroscopy can differentiate between closely related NPS analogues which can vastly reduce the number of substances sent to forensic labs for full analytical testing, which can be costly and time-consuming. A particular challenge is that NPS products are often available as complicated mixtures of NPS, adulterants, and cutting agents.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Collect data on NPS effects among people admitted to Highgate Mental Health Centre.
Verbatim wording from the response “Specific actions taken to address the concern: Very little is known of the effect of NPS in individuals with mental health conditions. Our University of Hertfordshire (UH)-based NPS Unit has started to collect data on the effect of the NPS in individuals admitted in the Highgate Mental Health Centre.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Conduct a collaborative study to generate evidence for policies controlling and reducing harms from NPS among vulnerable individuals.
Verbatim wording from the response “This particular project is being carried out in collaboration with two Highgate Mental Health Centre psychiatrists who have also enrolled for a PhD with our University (supervisor: Dr Ornella Corazza). The aim of their study is to gather new information on the effect of the NPS among vulnerable individuals, but also to develop evidence-based policies that will help to control and reduce the damage caused by these compounds.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Research and biologically test predicted next-generation NPS chemical scaffolds, incorporating active compounds’ spectral properties into identification models.
Verbatim wording from the response “In order to compliment and extend the work carried out to systematically classify existing NPS, Dr Stewart Kirton, Dr Jacqueline Stair and Dr Suzanne Fergus are leading research into predicting the next generation of chemical scaffolds that could be exploited by those who synthesize and distribute NPS. One PhD student (Michelle Botha) has used computers to identify a series of commercially available compounds that have the potential to bind to the CB1 receptor, but crucially are significantly different with respect to their chemical structures from any of the identified synthetic cannabinoids. Currently, biological testing is underway to establish if the activity predicted in silico is apparent in vitro/in vivo. Where biological activity exists, the spectral properties of the active compounds will be fed into the computational models that have previously been described.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Develop and deliver NPS categorisation training for police officers and prison healthcare professionals to support treatment decisions.
Verbatim wording from the response “She is also leading on a two-fold study: 1) to train and educate police officers on the use of handheld Raman instruments which could be employed on road-sides as well as in prisons for the identification of solid samples confiscated from prisoners and 2) to train and educate police officers and healthcare professionals who work in prisons on NPS and their categorization, which may potentially enhance the management of NPS use and assist in treatment decision-making. Her work is currently exploring developing undergraduate pharmacy curricula on NPS, which can be piloted nationally.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Complete research developing spectroscopic and chemometric approaches, spectral libraries and databases for accurate NPS identification by non-experts.
Verbatim wording from the response “As an extension of this work, Dr Amira Guirguis recently completed a PhD (supervised by Dr Jacqueline Stair, Dr Stewart Kirton and Dr Suzanne Fergus) on the ‘identification of NPS using spectroscopic and chemometric approaches’. Her work examined the issues surrounding the appropriate selection of analytical conditions and instrumentation for the detection of NPS; a scientifically-robust approach to construct compound libraries that have relevance to ‘in-field’ analysis and data analytical science that examined approaches that can be employed to develop accurate NPS identification algorithms from spectroscopic information for use by non-experts.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Collaborate with French psychiatrists and addiction specialists to design a clinical tool for efficient NPS identification.
Verbatim wording from the response “Dr Guirguis is also leading on potential collaborations with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), consultant psychiatrists, addiction specialists, general community pharmacists, mental health pharmacists and mental health nurses in the UK to assess the baseline knowledge on NPS and the design of education and training courses on NPS targeting healthcare professionals. Future work over the next year will include collaborations with French psychiatrists and addiction specialists to design a tool that clinicians can use for the efficient identification of NPS.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Lead collaborations with healthcare and pharmaceutical professionals to assess NPS knowledge and design education and training courses.
Verbatim wording from the response “Dr Guirguis is also leading on potential collaborations with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), consultant psychiatrists, addiction specialists, general community pharmacists, mental health pharmacists and mental health nurses in the UK to assess the baseline knowledge on NPS and the design of education and training courses on NPS targeting healthcare professionals. Future work over the next year will include collaborations with French psychiatrists and addiction specialists to design a tool that clinicians can use for the efficient identification of NPS.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Develop and deliver training for police officers on using handheld Raman instruments to identify confiscated solid samples.
Verbatim wording from the response “She is also leading on a two-fold study: 1) to train and educate police officers on the use of handheld Raman instruments which could be employed on road-sides as well as in prisons for the identification of solid samples confiscated from prisoners and 2) to train and educate police officers and healthcare professionals who work in prisons on NPS and their categorization, which may potentially enhance the management of NPS use and assist in treatment decision-making. Her work is currently exploring developing undergraduate pharmacy curricula on NPS, which can be piloted nationally.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
×
Source evidence
How this respondent position was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation The unit will not develop biological-matrix NPS identification techniques because its expertise does not extend to this analysis.
Verbatim wording from the response “We hope that our response demonstrates the actions that are being taken here in the Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit at the University of Hertfordshire to address the concerns around the real and significant dangers posed by the abuse of NPS. As you can see our approaches to tackling the problem are multi-faceted and extend from physical science and informatics, through medicinal chemistry and biological evaluation to clinical guidance and epidemiology. However, it is important to be clear that at this time we have no plans to develop techniques for the identification of NPS and their metabolites from biological matrices (e.g. blood and urine). The expertise of the members of the group does not extend to this type of biological analysis, and we feel others are better placed to address this issue.” Source location Howard-Jeffers-Response2
Open published response
Pin
Request correction
Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations