An inquest has been opened into the death of a Romford man after his family voiced concerns about the care he received at Queen’s Hospital.
Colin Richard Redbourn, 53, of Chatteris Avenue, Harold Hill, died on February 20.
A coroner was told this week had had been admitted a day earlier.
Paramedics had been called to his home on February 19 after he began experiencing “lower limb weakness” and a “red and painful toe”.
A coroner’s officer told East London Coroner’s Court, Walthamstow, that the condition had occurred “on a background of chronic alcohol abuse”.
Mr Redbourn was transported to Queen’s by ambulance and suffered an in-hospital cardiac arrest the following day.
That caused an “anoxic brain injury” – which is the result of the brain having its oxygen supply shut off.
Coroner Nadia Persaud was told Mr Redbourn’s family had since “raised concerns” about his care.
“I’m satisfied on those facts this death occurred in circumstances requiring an inquest to be opened,” she said on Wednesday (February 12).
Inquests are held in the public interest to investigate unnatural or unexplained deaths and whether future similar deaths might be avoidable.
She declared Mr Redbourn’s family “interested persons” – a legal status entitling them to view evidence before the inquest and question any witnesses called to testify.
The coroner then ordered numerous statements and pieces of evidence be supplied to the court.
“From the family I would like some background information, please, telling me about Mr Redbourn, confirming the family structure, his occupation, his physical health leading up to the events in February 2025,” she said.
She also asked for details of their “experience in hospital and the concerns that they have surrounding his death."
From Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), which runs Queen’s Hospital, she ordered a “senior nursing statement”.
“If the trust are carrying out an investigation then I would like a copy of the investigation report, together with clinical records from that final admission,” Mrs Persaud added.
She also granted interested person status to BHRUT and gave a provisional final inquest date of August 20.
A BHRUT spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to hear Mr Redbourn’s family had concerns about his care and will fully cooperate with the coroner in their investigation.”
