Investigation and inquest
The death of John Lowe was subject to an Inquest from 23rd to 25th March 2015.
Circumstances of the death
John Lowe was an inpatient in wards controlled by the Trust for mental health assessment and care following his suffering a stroke on 7th January 2014. He had been transferred to the Trust from medical wards controlled by Nottingham University NHS Trust, where he had been assessed as being at high risk of falls and had been provided with 1:1 nursing as a result of such assessment. Whilst on mental health wards in the care of the Trust he suffered a series of falls, the final one of which, on 18th February 2014, caused him to sustain a fractured left neck of femur. This injury made a material contribution to his eventual death from bronchopneumonia on 26th February 2014.
Coroner’s concerns
1. That there was a belief amongst members of the Trust’s nursing staff that they were unable as a matter of policy to provide 1:1 nursing care for a patient in respect of that patient’s falls risk assessment alone, no matter what that assessment might be.
2. That there was a belief amongst members of the Trust’s nursing staff that 1:1 nursing could only be provided on the basis of a patient’s particular mental health needs, and not in respect of his or her physical care needs.