“TO NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY 1”

The coroner’s concerns

– TO NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY 1. Whilst pertinent information was not provided to SALT, I am concerned that at assessment on 21 February 2023 there was no reliance upon the information provided in the referral to SALT which identified a concern for her swallow, coughing, weight loss choking. Instead the assessment was based on the verbal account of a member of care home staff. There was no observation of the deceased 5 eating and there was no inspection of her care records. TO HILLCARE GROUP - OPERATORS OF OAKS CARE HOME, BLYTH 2. Basic Life Support and First Aid at Work I am concerned that a Registered General Nurse and a Senior Care Assistant were not in date with their training in Basic Life Support and First Aid at Work. I am further concerned that it could not be confirmed if an Agency Care Worker was up to date with their training in Basic Life Support and First Aid at Work. 3. Training I am concerned that a Senior Care Assistant could not recall having received any formal training in the preparation of Care Plans, no training on MUST or calculating BMI yet was completing care plans and documents. I am further concerned than when the Senior Care Assistant completed the Nutritional Risk Assessment, on three dates the deceased was identified as high risk yet there was no referral to the GP, dietician or consideration of referral to SALT. I am concerned that in the absence of training there was not an understanding of the assessment. 4. Agency staff - induction I am concerned that an agency member of staff remained in the dining room and was last seen standing next to the alarm bell cord. The care assistant did not intervene immediately when the deceased showed signs of choking and instead sought help. I am further concerned that it could not be confirmed if the agency staff had undergone an induction. 5. Normal Diet IDDSI L7 easy chew and to avoid difficult textures. I am concerned that a chef in evidence at the inquest was not aware that breaded fish was not a suitable food stuff in the diet identified for the deceased. I am concerned that other residents could be fed inappropriate food stuffs that are not in line with their identified diet plans.

An extract. Read the full report, including the circumstances of the death, on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary website.

Source

judiciary.uk, Prevention of Future Deaths reports, 2025-0390

Added to Minute Book

8 Oct 2026

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, judiciary.uk. Open Government Licence v3.0