Yahoo News 'Chaos' and 'panic' called out after man killed by another patient in NHS mental health facility
'Chaos' and 'panic' by staff at a West London hospital has been called out by a coroner after a man was fatally attacked by another mental health patient. David Siirak, 26, died of severe head injuries on March 4 2020 after a brutal assault by Ronnell Dennis at the NHS facility at around 5pm three days earlier on March 1.
Four years after the deadly beating, an inquest at West London Coroners' Court heard evidence that prompted Assistant Coroner Richard Furniss to write to Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, warning that staff were still underprepared for another incident due to a lack of unexpected simulation training.
Mr Furniss said David was found in his room at around 4:47pm, having been attacked, after which the court heard response by ward staff to the incident was 'chaotic' and 'panicking' before a crash team arrived 16 minutes later at 5:03pm.
The coroner said evidence showed staff members had not been involved in a real or simulated emergency (i.e. an unexpected dummy run on the ward and not training on a planned day). He also highlighted one staff member who told the court she had not been involved in an unexpected simulated emergency for 14 years prior to the incident, nor the four years since.
"The jury found that 'there was a clear failure to provide the adequate training in simulation exercises to effectively manage situations like the one that occurred on 1st March 2020'. It was equally clear on the evidence that members of staff have still not undergone unexpected simulation training," concluded Mr Furniss in a prevention of future deaths report this March.
The narrative conclusion also found 'inadequate' steps were taken by staff after an earlier incident between David and his attacker, over the use of a private bathroom, a day before the killing. The coroner has asked the NHS trust to respond to his concerns by May 6 this year.
'Shocking incident traumatised staff'
A spokesperson for Central and North West NHS Trust, which runs the centre, said it sent its 'deepest condolences' to Mr Siirak’s family, and was 'sorry' for what had happened. They also said the incident that led to David's death was 'shocking' and left many staff traumatised.
The spokesperson added: “We have made significant changes to the way we do things in our hospital units, like the one where this incident took place, and routinely train all staff in resuscitation in order to help avoid something similar ever happening again. We hope David’s family and loved ones can take some small comfort from knowing that”.
In a statement released by David's family at the time, they said: "We have suffered a great and terrible loss after David’s tragic death on March 4. This has been a life-changing experience. Life will never ever be the same for us without David. David was a strong and much-loved young man, and he will eternally be missed by us all."
What happened to Ronnell Dennis?
After attacking David on the ward, causing him unsurvivable head injuries, Ronnell Dennis fled the scene. But a public appeal was launched and he was tracked down by police and arrested in Watford a day later.
Dennis was initially charged with attempted murder but it was upgraded to murder after David died. On August 26 2020, Dennis pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, which was accepted by the court. He was later sentenced to a hospital order under section 37 with a restriction order under section 41.
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