Health boss says sorry to tragic patient’s family

A HEALTH chief has apologised to the family of a mentally ill young man for a series of failings in his care before he died.

Sam Copestick, 24, died at Oldham Royal Infirmary three days after attempting to kill himself in May 2019, a Rochdale inquest jury heard.

Sam, who had paranoid schizophrenia, ran away while out on a walk to the shops. He was being escorted by a carer from Birch Hill Hospital’s Prospect Place facility in Wardle, where he had been a longterm patient under the Mental Health Act.

He was discovered in a critical condition a short time later on Bank Farm Lane, about a mile-and-a-half from the hospital. Ambulance crews arrived quickly and started CPR and he was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital but died three days later, on May 20.

Senior coroner for Manchester North, Joanne Kearsley, said the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Birch Hill Hospital, had already accepted a series of failures in the lead-up to Sam’s death. Although complaints in 2018 by Sam’s mother, Helen McHale, over the care he was receiving were investigated and recommendations for improvements were made, they were not put into effect, Ms Kearsely was told by Clare Parker, the trust’s deputy chief executive. Ms Parker opened her evidence by saying: “I want to apologise to Sam’s family for the failings we have found in the investigation by Pennine Care. We have accepted six areas that at the time where there were failures and as a result of Sam’s case we’ve made amendments to our policies.”

Ms Parker said the quality of the nursing reports about Sam’s care – a key component informing how his nursing needs would be met – were ‘not of the standard the trust expected.’ The inquest heard Helen complained about a lack of communication between herself and the team caring for Sam, and although it was recommended this would improve, it was not acted upon.