A corporate manslaughter prosecution could be on the cards against the NHS Trust that ran a unit where Connor Sparrowhawk died, after it was found guilty of ‘neglect’.
The jury at the inquest into the death of Connor Sparrowhawk, who drowned in a bath at the NHS care unit in Oxfordshire, has concluded that ‘neglect’ contributed to his death.
According to a statement from Connor’s family, the Trust disclosed new information during the inquest. This included the death in 2006 of another patient in the same bath.
From the time it was set in motion, the family’s long-running ‘Justice for LB’ campaign (LB standing for Laughing Boy, Connor’s nickname) explained that justice for Connor would involve a number of factors. This included “a corporate manslaughter prosecution brought against the Trust”.
Following the jury’s decision, Connor’s family released a statement. It said: “It is too late for our beautiful boy, but the treatment of learning disabled people, more widely, should be a matter of national concern.”
The 18 year-old had autism, epilepsy and a learning disability.
A post-mortem examination indicated that he died from drowning, probably after suffering a seizure. He died at the unit, Slade House in Headington, Oxfordshire in July 2013.
The Care Quality Commission highlighted failings at the unit and it was closed down. It had been run by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which had initially attributed Connor’s death to ‘natural causes’ and not subject to independent investigation. However, an independent report concluded that his death had been preventable.
Connor’s family have fought an epic battle to establish “accountability and responsibility”. They were on hand at the inquest to witness the outcome of that endeavour, hearing that the Trust had “serious failings”.
Jurors at Oxford Coroners’ Court ruled that Connor’s death had been “contributed to by neglect”. There was no formal logging of his bathing. Meanwhile, the frequency that staff monitored him had been reduced from every 10 minutes to every hour.
Evidence was presented to the court that Connor’s mother, Dr Sara Ryan, had tried to work with staff to inform them of Connor’s health needs. However, the jury found that there had been inadequate communication with Connor’s family and inadequate training and supervision of staff.
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Published: 16 October 2015
