Andrew Aitken

15 Dec 2014 · Coroner ME Hassell · London Inner (North)

The coroner's concerns

1. medication left on bedside cabinet
“When Mr [name redacted] was admitted to hospital on 10 June 2014, his girlfriend brought in the remainder of the tablets he had taken, hoping to assist those treating him. told me that a nurse took the tablets from her, of which there were still many remaining, and simply left them on the hospital bedside cabinet next to Mr [name redacted].”
2. lack of access to prior psychiatric records
“Mr [name redacted] had been admitted to Prestwich Hospital Psychiatric Hospital when he was 16 years old. When he was admitted on 10 June 2014, no consideration was given to asking for any record of that inpatient stay. That was some 14 years earlier and may not have yielded anything useful but, as Mr [name redacted] was not registered with a general practitioner, it was the only source of history from healthcare professionals.”
3. failure to refer to community mental health services
“The junior psychiatrist discharging Mr [name redacted] did strongly advise him to register with a GP and then to seek referral to mental health services, but it did not occur to her to refer him direct to the community mental health team, given that he had no GP.”
4. discharge without personal belongings
“I was told that Mr [name redacted] was discharged from hospital in gown and socks, with no clothes or shoes.”