‘No staffing growth’ policy implicated in patient’s death

Repeated refusals by NHS England to fund extra staff was a key factor in a patient’s death, a coroner has said.

The coroner warned that year-long delays to follow-up appointments at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital Foundation Trust were a factor in the death of Peter Anzani, a spinal injury patient who died from a blood clot in November last year.

NHS England turned down two requests to fund extra staff at the trust due to national policy and “a funding shortage”, a recent prevention of future deaths report has said.

That’s despite RJAH struggling with patient demand and staffing shortages, leading to longer waits for reviews and treatments, according to the report.

Adam Hodson, the coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, said in the report sent to NHSE and the hospital: “It is obvious that where patients are waiting for longer than is reasonable or necessary for  treatment or reviews, there is a real risk of deaths occurring. No patient should be waiting longer than absolutely necessary for treatment.”

He added: “It is concerning to hear that the trust do not appear to be being adequately supported financially by NHS England, and do not currently appear to be able to address their workplace staffing issues without additional financial support (which does not appear to be forthcoming).”

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Source: HSJ, 22 May 2025