Simon Connolly in the David Nash inquest
Simon ConnollySimon Connolly was instructed to represent an NHS Trust in connection with the inquest touching the death of David Nash.
Mr Nash was a 26-year-old law student who remotely consulted with four Primary Care clinicians about an unresolving ear infection during the nineteen-day period which preceded his admission to hospital and at a time of significantly increased COVID-19 pressures.
Mr Nash was not seen ‘face to face’ by a clinician in the community. Expert GP evidence identified the clinical indication for this at the time of the final remote consultation which took place some 10 hours prior to his hospital admission.
The GP expert opined that had Mr Nash been seen ‘face to face’ that day then he would have been referred directly to hospital. ENT and Neurosurgical expert evidence confirmed that Mr Nash would have survived had he presented to the Emergency Department earlier that day.
The inquest also scrutinised Mr Nash’s management through the ED and the causal significance of the time between a request for and the performance of a CT head scan and the approach of the neurosurgical team by their efforts to save Mr Nash’s life.
The Coroner returned a narrative conclusion which identified the causative missed opportunity of the earlier community referral and in which the involvement of Simon’s client did not feature. A Regulation 28 report was not considered to be necessary.
The inquest was extensively covered by the media with the case featuring in the local and national press and reported by broadcast media which included the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
For press coverage click here
Simon is a specialist inquest barrister with a wealth of experience in representing healthcare professionals and organisations in Coronial proceedings.
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Contact Simon’s clerks
Madeleine Gray on 0113 202 8603
Patrick Urbina on 0113 213 5250