LICHFIELD’S MP has called for action to prevent avoidable epilepsy deaths among people with learning disabilities.
Dave Robertson highlighted local man Clive Treacey during a debate in the House of Commons.
Mr Treacey died in 2017 aged 47 after he went into cardiac arrest following a seizure.
His sister Elaine said:
“Losing Clive at just 47 years old was a tragedy beyond measure. It is no age to lose someone so beautiful, happy and free-spirited.
“Clive was an entertainer by nature – a joyful presence, a natural caregiver, a maker of fun and a dedicated rule-follower who looked out for everyone around him.”
An independent review of his death found there had been “multiple, system-wide failures” in his care at the residential centre where he lived – and added that his death was potentially avoidable.
Lichfield MP Dave Robertson told the debate that the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is more than three times higher for those with learning disability, compared to just 1% in the wider population.
But research shows that annual health checks and epilepsy reviews can reduce the risk of premature death by 84%.
Mr Robertson called for the national adoption of the Clive Treacey Safety Checklist – a practical tool for care providers providing annual health checkups, developed by leading experts and charities in Clive’s memory.
He said:
“The Clive Treacey Safety Checklist is not a document that should be put in a drawer and left to gather dust, it is a practical tool that can save lives – and an important part of Clive’s legacy.
“We must ensure that no-one else is failed as he was failed.”
Since Mr Treacey’s death, some NHS services have conducted detailed appraisals to improve the epilepsy care they offer to those with learning disabilities – and are using the Clive Treacey Safety Checklist.
Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, the Minister for Health Innovation and Safety, said he encouraged health service commissioners to use the Clive Treacey Checklist:
“It goes without saying that Clive’s death must not be in vain and that we must learn the lessons to ensure that this does not happen again.
“I believe we also need to commit further that no longer in our National Health Service
should a tragedy be the only way to make things better for the patients and citizens we serve and to save their lives.”