Investigation and inquest
On the 4th April 2014 I commenced an investigation into the death of Vivian Herbert HUNT aged 84. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 6th August 2014. The conclusion of the inquest was that Mr Hunt had died from the effects of a subdural haemorrhage following an un-witnessed fall he had in his hospital room on 3rd April 2014.
Circumstances of the death
Mr HUNT was a patient on the Mental Health ward of the Royal Glamorgan Hospital when he was found to have fallen in his room in the early hours of the morning of 3rd April 2014 sustaining an injury to the side of his face. He had fallen in similar circumstances the day before. Throughout the day he deteriorated until he became unresponsive and a subsequent CT scan showed a bleed on his brain from which he later died the following day.
Coroner’s concerns
(1) Despite the fall he suffered on 2nd April and despite suffering a clear injury to his face in the fall on 3rd April 2014, no neurological observations were made of him between 5am on 3rd April and between 12:30 and 13:15pm that day.