Inquest into death of Norwich man who died whilst sectioned under the care of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

The inquest takes place in Ipswich on Monday (27 March) into the death of a Norwich man, after prolonged treatment for mental illness and a last minute emergency to find secure accommodation for him.

The family of the deceased man have engaged Ashtons Legal medical negligence specialist lawyer Ben Ward to represent them.

In January 2014 Neil Jewell, aged 42, suffered fatal injuries whilst being nursed in seclusion at Ipswich Hospital. He was a patient in the Woodlands Unit, which is run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). He had suffered from mental illness since 2005. During the years prior to his death he mostly lived in the community in Norwich, though he was reviewed annually by a psychiatrist. But he suffered a mental health crisis in early 2014 and had to be taken into care at Hamilton House in Norwich, because no in-patient beds were available to him locally. His mental health declined and police had to be called. Owing to his decline, he was sectioned and transferred from Norwich to the Wedgewood unit in Bury St Edmunds. Then on the same day he had to be transferred again, to a psychiatric intensive care unit at Woodlands in Ipswich. He later suffered cardiac arrest whilst in seclusion and under observation. He was transferred to intensive care at Ipswich Hospital, but despite attempts to provide life-saving treatment he died on 17 January. The cause of death was broncho-pneumonia due to hypoxic brain injury.

Ben Ward comments: “Whatever the eventual findings of the inquest, the distress, confusion and anxiety that Neil must clearly have been suffering during his ordeal are unimaginable to most of us. There are several issues of concern which the inquest must address, involving several agencies. For that reason, there are a number of witnesses to be called. So it will be a long inquest and therefore all the more trying for Neil’s family, who must endure their own ordeal as they sit through the lengthy explanations of his death.”

The inquest will take place at Ipswich Coroner’s Court at Beacon House, beginning at 10am on Monday 27 March and scheduled to last for up to four weeks.