Annette Hewins: 'Not enough medical observations' before death

Annette Hewins, pictured in the 1990s, served 18 months of a 13-year prison sentence before she was released

Not enough medical observations were recorded on a woman who later died on a mental health ward, an inquest has heard.

Annette Hewins, 51, died in February 2017, less than 24 hours after being detained at Royal Glamorgan Hospital.

Doctors had requested observations be carried out every four hours but only one set was done during a 13-hour period, the court was told.

Ms Hewins was wrongly convicted of starting a fatal fire in 1995.

She was jailed in 1997 over the deaths of 21-year-old Diane Jones and her two daughters - Shauna, two, and Sarah-Jane, 13 months - in Merthyr Tydfil. Her conviction was quashed two years later.

Nurse Daryl Cook told the inquest at Pontypridd Coroner's Court she was writing up notes when concerns were raised by another member of staff about Ms Hewins, on 8 February 2017.

"She was in bed facing the window, I touched her, I said 'call the crash team' and I started CPR," she said. Ms Hewins was later pronounced dead.

'Unacceptable'

The written notes were a combination of information Ms Cook had personally witnessed about Ms Hewins and what she had been told by other nursing staff, she said.

But the inquest heard they did not show observations being carried out as frequently as requested by doctors on her admission to the ward.

Christian Howells, representing the Hewins family, said: "In a 13-hour period between 03:30 and 16:45 when she was found dead, only one set of observations were done on her, at 12:45 in the afternoon."

When asked if that was "acceptable", Ms Cook replied: "No."

'Not shockable'

The inquest heard from registrar Dr Shrikrishnapalasuiriyar, who was consulted by a junior doctor concerned about the withdrawal symptoms Ms Hewins was showing.

Ms Hewins had high blood pressure but Dr Shrikrishnapalasuiriyar said that was common with those withdrawing from drugs.

Annette Hewins died in February 2017 at Royal Glamorgan Hospital

She was called later that day when Ms Hewins went into cardiac arrest but said there was no electrical activity from Ms Hewins' heart, meaning it was "not shockable".

In a statement, Dr Khalid Mahmood, a cardiologist instructed by Ms Hewins' family, said opiate withdrawal minimally, if at all, "contributed to her death" and providing methodone "would not have avoided her sudden death".

He said there were significant risks associated with methodone, particularly when prescribed if the history of drug use is not accurately known, saying the use could be "potentially lethal".

The inquest previously heard Ms Hewins started taking drugs whilst in prison and her mental health deteriorated following the wrongful conviction.

She served 18 months of a 13-year prison sentence before she was released.

The inquest continues.