Alexander Boamah · Prevention of Future Deaths report

Alexander Boamah died on 26 January 2019, aged 54. The inquest into his death concluded on 3 July 2019. The cause of Mr Boamah’s death was unascertained and I reached an open conclusion.

Mr Boamah had a history of heroin and crack cocaine misuse. He was under the care of Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust for the treatment of this condition.

In late 2018 Mr Boamah was granted Personal Independence Payment by a Tribunal; this included a payment of approximately £18,000. Concerns were raised amongst his treating team that receipt of such a large sum of money could place Mr Boamah at risk, given the potential for unrestrained access to illicit drugs.

Attempts were made to assess Mr Boamah’s capacity to manage his finances but he did not attend the planned consultations. I heard evidence from Mr Boamah’s treating psychiatrist that his service had no recourse to express concerns or intervene to address the risks that receipt of this money posed.

Following receipt of this money Mr Boamah began to disengage from his addiction treatment and increased his reported use of illicit substances.

Mr Boamah was found deceased in his residence on 26 January 2019. Post-mortem toxicology was not able to establish the concentration of illicit substances in his blood. However, liver sampling was able to demonstrate the presence of both cocaine metabolites and morphine.

(1) There is a real risk that future deaths will occur where large sums of money are received by individuals who are then placed at risk through unrestrained access to illicit substances.

Whilst it is recognised that individuals should not be deprived of funds owed to them, it does not seem that there is a process whereby concern about such risks can be raised by treating clinicians to the Department of Work and Pensions.

A specific concern relates to the potential that individuals, without capacity to manage their finances, may come into receipt of funds which place them at particular risk.