Cynthia Gilbert
24 Jan 2025 · Coroner Vanessa McKinlay · Somerset
The coroner's concerns
1. pressure ulcer development
“Mrs [name redacted] was noted to have grade 2 tissue damage on admission to hospital. She was assessed as being at very high risk of pressure ulcer development. Her care plan included repositioning every 1 to 2 hours. The Intentional Rounding documents show that, during her time spent on the Old Acute Medical Unit and Coleridge Respiratory Unit (1/9/23 to 20/12/23), Mrs [name redacted] remained in the same position in bed for periods of many hours on multiple days.”
2. lack of adherence to repositioning care plan
“The lack of adherence to the repositioning care plan for a patient at very high risk of developing pressure ulcers raises a concern for future deaths.”
3. quality and efficacy of post-death investigation
“The evidence given by the Trust at the inquest did not provide a satisfactory explanation as to why the repositioning care plan was not adhered to. This raises a concern about the quality and efficacy of the Trusts' post-death investigation which in turn raises a concern for future deaths.”