Hospital patient took life amid 'unchecked' records

An NHS hospital patient took her own life with tubing she stole from a medical trolley, a coroner has said.

Emma Sanders, 34, who had a history of mental illness, was being cared for in a corridor due to overcrowding at Royal Bournemouth Hospital in March 2023.

She was found collapsed in a toilet and died from the effects of asphyxiation five days later, an inquest heard.

Senior Dorset Coroner Rachael Griffin said the patient might have been managed differently if health workers had checked her previous records.

The patient's medical records, which showed a history of self-harm and personality disorders, were not seen during her time in hospital, according to the coroner's report.

They were not immediately available when she was triaged and no-one else from the hospital saw her before the fatal incident, Ms Griffin said.

She said NHS Dorset and NHS England could act to prevent future deaths by addressing issues with the patient records system.

Ms Sanders was brought to the hospital's emergency department on 14 March after taking an overdose, the coroner said.

She was placed in a hospital corridor which was being staffed by ambulance paramedics due to "capacity pressures", Ms Griffin added.

In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, the coroner wrote: "At 18.58 hours, when for a very short period of time there were no staff in the corridor, Emma can be seen on the CCTV of the corridor to secrete upon her person a nasal canula with plastic tubing from an equipment trolley.

"At 19.53 hours Emma went to the toilet in the Emergency Department.

"At 20.03 hours, Emma was found in a collapsed and unresponsive condition on the floor of the toilet."

In a narrative conclusion, Ms Griffin said it was not clear whether Ms Sanders had intended to take her own life.

The hospital has been approached for comment, while South Western Ambulance Service said the issues raised by the coroner were not for them.

NHS Dorset said it would respond to the coroner in due course.

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