Derriford death sparks criticism from coroner

THE health trust that runs Plymouth's Derriford Hospital has been criticised over the death of a 61-year-old man at the hospital in 2022.

- By GUY HENDERSON

In a hard-hitting report, Devon's assistant coroner Louise Wiltshire says an 'insufficient' protocol probably contributed to the death of Lee Eustace. She also says there is a risk of deaths occurring in the future due to a lack of proper incident investigation.

The University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) NHS Trust says it is carefully assessing the concerns raised by the report.

Mr Eustace died at Derriford on May 1, 2022 from a rare complication of being fed through a tube which bypassed his stomach.

Ms Wiltshire's report, which follows an inquest hearing in December, says there were 'multiple opportunities' to recognise that Mr Eustace was suffering from this rare complication, and an opportunity to provide effective treatment.