NEGLECT was a contributory factor in the death of an Islander while he was in hospital care, a coroner has ruled.
Giving her findings at the conclusion of a week-long inquest into the death of Michael Watkins (60), who died in August 2021, relief coroner Sarah Whitby highlighted two moves which in her opinion contributed significantly to his death.
Mr Watkins, who owned a local gardening business, died from acute cardiac failure which followed neuroleptic malignant syndrome – a rare and life-threatening reaction to anti-psychotic drugs characterised by fever, muscle rigidity, and altered mental status.
Mrs Whitby said she considered it neglectful that Mr Watkins was not transferred from Cedar Ward at St Saviour’s to Jersey General Hospital during the week ending Friday 13 August, when blood tests showed a reaction to the anti-psychotic drug Clozapine administered at the start of the week.
The second factor mentioned by Mrs Whitby related to a blood test taken at 1pm on Saturday 14 August. The results of this test had been available at 8pm that day, but were not accessed until Monday morning.
Mrs Whitby said that Mr Watkins had recovered after treatment in the acute setting of the General Hospital during July, and may well have done so again had his transfer from Cedar Ward occurred earlier. The transfer did not take place until late morning on Monday, after he suffered the cardiac arrest from which he died, the inquest had heard.
Action taken by the Health Department to improve its protocols following the incident was acknowledged by Mrs Whitby, who said she did not consider it necessary to make further recommendations in this regard.
She concluded: “Mr Watkins died of natural causes, contributed to by neglect.”
