Nikolas Clarke acted for the local authority’s housing and social services departments in an inquest into the death of a 29-year-old woman, CL. She died in local authority temporary accommodation 3 days after being discharged from hospital.
Background
CL had several serious health conditions, including poorly managed diabetes. She was housed by the local authority.
Following a 3-month stay in hospital, she returned to her local authority accommodation.
CL’s family were critical of the accommodation as it was a basement flat and she struggled using stairs, plus it had poor mobile phone reception in the case of a medical emergency.
When her family did not hear from her in the 3 days after she left hospital, they went to the flat and found her dead.
There were extensive arguments about where CL had been ‘ordinarily resident’ and which local authority was responsible for CL’s care. Nikolas’ client was correct in asserting that another local authority (also an Interested Person) was responsible for her care and that his local authority client was only responsible for her housing needs.
The inquest
At the inquest, the coroner considered:
- if Article 2 was engaged (at the pre-review inquest hearing it had been decided it was) - however after hearing evidence he concluded that it was not engaged.
- potential operational failings by the hospital and local authorities
- whether CL’s release from hospital was premature and so contributed to her death.
Coroner’s conclusion
The coroner gave a narrative conclusion that was not critical of Nikolas’ client and made no relevant causative finding.
No preventing future deaths report was made.