Warning after man who smoked in bed died in fire

A coroner has warned better fire-risk alerts are needed after a pensioner who died in a blaze was prescribed a flammable ointment despite smoking in bed.

Malcolm Campbell died on 15 January at South Tyneside District General Hospital from the effects of smoke inhalation a day after a fire broke out at his home in South Shields.

The 84-year-old who was diagnosed with dementia in May 2022 regularly smoked in bed and was identified as at risk by his carers, GP and other visiting professionals.

Assistant coroner for Gateshead and South Tyneside, James Thompson, wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) with concerns after Campbell was prescribed a flammable cream.

In a Prevention for Future Deaths report, Thompson said a fire service assessment in November 2022 considered Campbell at high risk and that he would not be able to get himself to safety if a fire broke out.

As a result, the council installed monitored smoke alarms and supplied fire retardant bedding.

On 14 January 2023, a fire started in his home and the council monitoring service noticed alarm activation and attempted to speak to him, but his responses were confused and emergency services were alerted.

The ambulance arrived quickly and Campbell was resuscitated and taken to hospital, where he died the following day.

Before the fire, the coroner said Campbell had been prescribed an emollient cream which carers would apply to his legs which had a paraffin base.

A fire investigator said the cream may have soaked into the bedding and the carpet near the bed, which allowed the fire to start.

Thompson said it was not possible for a GP to place a fire flag on a patient's medical records to identify any potential risk.

Instead, any medical professional would need to read the patient's records fully to realise issuing a paraffin-based product was a risk.

The coroner was also concerned Campbell was assessed by several different social workers and professionals before his death and suggested allocating a single person throughout his care would have provided better continuity.

The final concern was placing Campbell in a nursing home, even on a temporary basis, was not given equal footing to him returning home after a recent hospital stay.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Campbell's granddaughter, Marie, said: "While nothing can change what has happened, we are grateful to now have a better understanding of the circumstances around his death.

"We hope that the concerns raised by the coroner will lead to meaningful and positive change, which can help other families avoid having to go through a similar ordeal."

The DHSC included in its response information from NHS England, which said when prescribing a paraffin-based product, there was a warning label on the product that it was flammable.

NHS England said the GP practice would have been able to include the assessment in the patient's GP record and use options to give prominence to a high fire risk assessment if considered appropriate.

On the other points, the DHSC said it considered it good practice for local authorities to provide continuity in care where possible.

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