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Home / Inquest opens into care home death of vulnerable man with learning disability

Inquest opens into care home death of vulnerable man with learning disability

By agency reporter
October 17, 2018

Heddwyn Hughes was a vulnerable adult in the care of Hywel Dda Health Trust at Carmarthen. The inquest into his death opens on Wednesday 17 October 2018, and is expected to last three to four days.

Heddwyn had a lifelong learning disability, which required full time care. He was living in Bro Myrddin care home in Carmarthen, where at some stage he suffered a broken neck. Heddwyn was moved to Glangwili General Hospital on 6 May 2015. His neck injury was only diagnosed by the hospital after ten days. He died five months later on 18 October 2015.

The inquest will explore issues around:

  • What caused Heddwyn’s neck to be broken on or around 6 May 2015.
  • The treatment Heddwyn received both at the care home and following his transfer to hospital on 6 May 2015.
  • Care staff members’ knowledge of and response to Heddwyn’s mobility difficulties and history of falls before 6 May 2015.
  • The possibility that Heddwyn was treated differently by staff, by reason of his learning and communication difficulties.

The family of Heddwyn Hughes said: “Heddwyn was particularly fond of music and, even after his injury, he would greet us with that lovely smile of his, unaware of the gravity of his situation. It has been a long three years since Heddwyn’s death, but we hope that the inquest will answer some of our concerns, in particular how he broke his neck.”

* INQUEST https://www.inquest.org.uk/

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