Investigation and inquest
On 21 September 2022 I commenced an investigation into the death of Ronald Alfred KELLY aged 91. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 10 November 2022. The conclusion of the inquest was that Mr Kelly died from suicide.
Circumstances of the death
The deceased was found hanging ████████
████████ on 19th September 2022. He had recently been discharged from hospital and was struggling to cope.
Coroner’s concerns
1. That a 91-year-old man was discharged from hospital following surgery, having refused to wait over the weekend for a care package to be put in place and there was no follow-up arranged to either assist him with his care or to ensure that he was coping.
2. That when the GP practice made a subsequent referral for a visit and assessment by the district nurse it was rejected on the basis that the appropriate referral was to “home first”. The GP forwarded the referral but nothing was actioned.
3. There does not appear to be any system to ensure that a patient discharged home possibly needing support and care are automatically followed up.