Latest news with #RoyalFreeLondonNHSFoundationTrust
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospital should 'take action' after fall death
A coroner has told a north London NHS trust it displayed "widespread communication issues" after an elderly patient died from an unwitnessed fall at a hospital. Carl Eastman, 96, suffered an irreversible bleed on the brain after falling in the enhanced care bay of the Royal Free Hospital in Camden on 28 July last year. An inquest into his death at Inner North London Coroner's Court heard Mr Eastman had been admitted to the hospital five days earlier following a fall at home, but he fell again in a hospital ward on 25 and 28 July. The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has been contacted for a response. Mr Eastman was transferred to the hospital's enhanced care bay "where he should have been kept under constant observation", assistant coroner Ian Potter said in a prevention of future deaths report. His third unwitnessed fall, in the early hours of 28 July, occurred "at a time when a member of staff should have accompanied him", the coroner said. Mr Potter added there was "evidence of what I considered to be 'widespread communication issues' in the care provided to Mr Eastman" which posed "a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken". This included staff on the ward incorrectly telling the on-call doctor on 28 July that nobody had fallen which meant Mr Eastman's condition was not reviewed, he continued. Communication between the ward staff and medical staff was "not good" and evidence provided at the inquest revealed there were "deficiencies in basic record keeping", the coroner added. Mr Potter said: "There was clear evidence that the trust has put extensive measures in place to address the issue of staff having not followed the trust's own post-fall procedures and protocols. "However, I am concerned that the issue may not be limited to just those particular protocols and may be indicative of a wider skills or knowledge deficit." Evidence also appeared to show "a lack of professional curiosity on the part of some staff members", he added. Copies of the coroner's Prevention of Future Deaths Report were sent to the chief executive of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Eastman's family and the Care Quality Commission. Woman died after clot was not diagnosed - inquest Mum says NHS unit involved in son's death not safe Coroner's Court Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Royal Free Hospital should take action after fall death
A coroner has told a north London NHS trust it displayed "widespread communication issues" after an elderly patient died from an unwitnessed fall at a Eastman, 96, suffered an irreversible bleed on the brain after falling in the enhanced care bay of the Royal Free Hospital in Camden on 28 July last inquest into his death at Inner North London Coroner's Court heard Mr Eastman had been admitted to the hospital five days earlier following a fall at home, but he fell again in a hospital ward on 25 and 28 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has been contacted for a response. Mr Eastman was transferred to the hospital's enhanced care bay "where he should have been kept under constant observation", assistant coroner Ian Potter said in a prevention of future deaths third unwitnessed fall, in the early hours of 28 July, occurred "at a time when a member of staff should have accompanied him", the coroner Potter added there was "evidence of what I considered to be 'widespread communication issues' in the care provided to Mr Eastman" which posed "a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken".This included staff on the ward incorrectly telling the on-call doctor on 28 July that nobody had fallen which meant Mr Eastman's condition was not reviewed, he continued. Communication between the ward staff and medical staff was "not good" and evidence provided at the inquest revealed there were "deficiencies in basic record keeping", the coroner Potter said: "There was clear evidence that the trust has put extensive measures in place to address the issue of staff having not followed the trust's own post-fall procedures and protocols. "However, I am concerned that the issue may not be limited to just those particular protocols and may be indicative of a wider skills or knowledge deficit."Evidence also appeared to show "a lack of professional curiosity on the part of some staff members", he of the coroner's Prevention of Future Deaths Report were sent to the chief executive of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Eastman's family and the Care Quality Commission.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
NHS trust warned of ‘widespread communication issues' after man died from fall
A coroner has told an NHS trust it displayed 'widespread communication issues' after an elderly patient died from an unwitnessed fall at one of its hospitals. Carl Eastman, 96, suffered an irreversible bleed on the brain after falling in the Enhanced Care Bay of the Royal Free Hospital in Camden, north London, on July 28 last year. An inquest into his death heard Mr Eastman had been admitted to the hospital five days earlier following a fall at home and that he fell again while in a hospital ward on July 25, although neither incident resulted in significant injury. He was then transferred to the Enhanced Care Bay 'where he should have been kept under constant observation', said Ian Potter, assistant coroner for inner north London, and his third unwitnessed fall in the early hours of July 28 occurred 'at a time when a member of staff should have accompanied him'. The hospital is run by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, along with three other hospitals in London and Hertfordshire. The coroner said there was 'evidence of what I considered to be 'widespread communication issues' in the care provided to Mr Eastman', including staff on the ward incorrectly telling the on-call doctor on July 28 that nobody had fallen, meaning Mr Eastman was not reviewed. Communication between the ward staff and medical staff was 'not good' and evidence provided at the inquest revealed there were 'deficiencies in basic record keeping', the coroner said. He said evidence appeared to show 'a lack of professional curiosity on the part of some staff members' and the possibility of an underlying skills or knowledge deficit at the hospital. The coroner added: 'In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths.' Copies of the coroner's Prevention of Future Deaths Report were sent to the chief executive of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Eastman's family and the Care Quality Commission. The trust has been contacted for comment.
