Maypole Inquest Jury returns a verdict of Natural Causes

James Leonard represented the two General Practitioner owners of the Maypole Nursing home in Birmingham at an Inquest into the death of Leslie Vines who died in 2002. When the home was closed in 2003 there was national publicity concerning the alleged condition of the home and the conduct of the owners and nurses relating to the treatment of residents. In 2006 the Doctors were been erased by the General Medical Council and three of the nurses working at the home were erased by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The Inquest proceeded on the basis that there might have been gross negligence manslaughter of Mr Vines or that neglect by way of inadequate medical treatment had caused or contributed to his death. The suggestion was that Mr Vines' death had been caused or contributed to by him being excessively sedated, restrained in a so called "bucket chair" and not being given antibiotics when he needed them for a chest infection. After 9 days of evidence from a variety of medical practitioners who were challenged in relation to treatment, nursing and causation, the Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull ruled that, following legal argument, there was insufficient evidence of gross negligence manslaughter or neglect to leave those issues to the Jury.

Despite being asked to consider delivering a narrative verdict in relation to Mr Vines' death, the Jury returned a short form verdict of death by natural causes without any criticism of the care that Mr Vines had received at the home.

The enquiry followed Judicial Review proceedings as a consequence of which the Coroner was ordered to hold an Inquest. Three Strategic Health Authorities, the Solihull Metropolitan District Counsel, the Care Standards Commission and the Family of Mr Vines were represented by Counsel and since the Inquest began there had been 5 Pre Inquest Hearings and a variety of legal arguments concerning the Article 2 of the Human Rights Act and the scope of the Inquest that was to take place.

James Leonard was instructed by Michael Pether and James Chambers of Berrymans Lace Mawer to represent the Doctors.