Betsi Cadwaladr: Man found dead after being sent home by doctor

A patient was found dead five days after being discharged by a doctor who should not have been working unsupervised, a court heard.

Mark James Pullin, 42, went missing after being sent home from Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, by Dr Michael Mamah on 3 January 2022.

His body was found in a field on 8 January and an internal inquiry began.

Mr Pullin's provisional cause of death was given as hypothermia, due to drug and alcohol toxicity.

North Wales East and Central assistant coroner, Kate Sutherland, told a pre-inquest hearing in Ruthin there were several matters which required investigation.

The court heard an ambulance took Mr Pullin, of Maes y Glyn, Colwyn Bay, to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd on 2 January after he was found unresponsive at home.

Ms Sutherland said there was evidence Mr Pullin, an alcohol-dependent project officer at Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, was discharged in the early hours of 3 January by locum Dr Mamah.

"There is evidence that he was working unsupervised at the hospital when he had previously been working under supervision at the [Wrexham] Maelor Hospital," she said.

"It is quite clear that there must have been an inadequate process to ensure that he was working under supervision."

Mr Pullin's stepfather, Phil Ward, said concerns had been raised with North Wales Community Health Council.

He said they were told Dr Mamah resigned after complaints about his work at Wrexham Maelor Hospital but he "reappeared" at Glan Clwyd.

Solicitor Trish Gaskell, for Betsi Cadwaladr health board, said Dr Mamah was no longer employed by the board and was believed to be working in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Ms Sutherland said disciplinary matters were for the health board, but she would want to hear what lessons had been learned from the failings.

She said she would examine whether Mr Pullin should have been recognised as being at risk because of his history, and why he was discharged when he was inadequately dressed.

Mr Ward said his stepson had been particularly depressed in December 2021 because he had been "victimised and targeted" at work, but the coroner said that could not form part of her inquiry.

Another pre-hearing is scheduled before the full inquest which is hoped will be held this year.