Finding into death of Robyn Julia Richards

69y · Female·Hydrocephalus and subarachnoid haemorrhage in the setting of a fall in a woman with leukaemia and cerebral palsy

A 69-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, residing in Specialist Disability Accommodation funded through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, sustained an unwitnessed fall on 1 February 2025, resulting in minor facial abrasion. Assessment by paramedics and SDA staff found no serious injury. Five days later, she presented to hospital with acute agitation, altered conscious state, and seizure-like activity. CT imaging revealed bilateral subarachnoid haemorrhage and hydrocephalus. Neurosurgery determined intervention inappropriate given her frailty and poor prognosis. She was transitioned to end-of-life care and died on 20 February 2025. The exact cause of hydrocephalus remained unclear—possibly related to trauma, infection, or disease relapse. The coroner found all assessment and treatment to be appropriate, making no adverse findings.