Deceased
Kaitlin O'Keefe McGill
Demographics
34y, female
Coroner
Coroner Morrison
Date of death
2016-03-22
Finding date
2020-12-10
Cause of death
morphine toxicity (morphine probably ingested as heroin), accidental death
AI-generated summary
A 34-year-old woman subject to a Psychiatric Treatment Order died from morphine toxicity (accidental heroin overdose). While no deficiency in clinical care was identified, the coroner highlighted a critical gap in information sharing: family members were actively engaged by mental health services to assist with treatment but were not provided key information about the patient's condition and treatment due to privacy protections. The coroner recommended legislative or procedural reform to enable appropriate information disclosure to family/carers when they are actively assisting with treatment, recognizing that optimal treatment outcomes may require family involvement despite patient privacy preferences when mental illness compromises decision-making.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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Source and disclaimer
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