07/11/05 - Council care agencies disconnected.

A Serious Case Review in Newcastle has called for better information sharing between care agencies following investigations into an unlawful killing of an elderly woman.

The review was set up following the death of Olive Garvie, 93 in Coniscliffe Residential Home in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne in February 2004. A fellow resident, May Thrower, 83 admitted to manslaughter, earlier this year, after hitting Miss Garvie over the head with an ornamental iron.

Newcastle Social Services appointed Sunderland City Council to investigate the circumstances leading to the death and how Miss Thrower came to be housed at the residential home even though she had a history of mental illness.

The review found that while six care agencies were involved in the case, no one organisation was in "full possession of the facts" regarding Miss Thrower and therefore none could be directly held accountable for the death.

Through its investigations it was found that "records were either, not kept, lost or destroyed in accordance with the criteria of the relevant agency."

The residential home staff were unaware of Miss Thrower's criminal record or her psychiatric background. The review notes that while the police would have known about her past convictions and a stay in the Rampton High Security Hospital in Nottinghamshire, it is not clear as to whether this information was communicated to social services: "The social services records do not show that any such information was given to them."

The report makes eight recommendations.

It call for a multi-agency approach to the training of staff in adult protection, to ensure "good professional relationships, together with shared understanding of what constitutes abuse and good practice."

Also all care agencies should agree a common information sharing protocol that will "encompass all principles of information sharing and address issues of confidentiality," and physical and electronic records should be monitored for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Vida Morris, Lead Nurse for Newcastle Primary Care Trust said: "This was a tragic incident from which there are lessons to be learned. We will be working closely with our colleagues in the other agencies involved and with GP practices across the city to implement the findings of the review.

Closer working relations and the sharing of information using technology between the NHS and the local authority have already begun with the introduction of the NHS National Programme for Information Technology. We will be looking to develop this further."

Sunderland was commissioned by Newcastle City Council leader Councillor Peter Arnold following the conviction of Miss Thrower, because of its expertise in safeguarding adults.

Source : EGOV