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Inquest: "Failure to Monitor" in Patient Killing
25 Sep
Summary
- Patient died after a 28-second attack by a fellow patient.
- Inquest found a "failure to monitor" the assailant.
- Medical staff could not have prevented the death, ruled inquest.
A senior coroner has concluded that the death of Michael Matthews, 55, at Newcastle's Hadrian Clinic could not have been prevented by medical staff. Matthews was fatally attacked by fellow patient Ahsan Zia, 33, on April 13, 2022, in a brutal 28-second assault. The attack, which occurred in Matthews' room on the acute Fellside wing, left him with severe head and facial injuries, leading to cardiac arrest.
An inquest at Newcastle Coroner's Court determined there was a "failure to monitor" Zia, though the Cumbria, Northumbria, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust stated that working practices have since been updated. The inquest heard that Zia was not initially given a Prevention of Violence and Aggression Plan as he did not appear violent upon admission. It was also noted that Zia had requested a reduction in one of his antipsychotic medications, which was subsequently actioned by his doctors.
