Support worker’s actions under microscope in inquest into death of Michael Phillip Hyde-Wyatt

The actions of a support worker who failed to sound the alarm after a man in her care suffered a seizure and later died, have been put under the microscope in the inquiry into his death.

Coroner Olivia McTaggart found support worker Julie Magrath’s breach of “basic protocols” had led to her “failing in her duty” to Mr Hyde-Wyatt.

The actions of a support worker who failed to sound the alarm after a man in her care suffered a seizure and later died, have been put under the microscope in the inquiry into his death.

Sixty-one-year-old Michael Phillip Hyde-Wyatt was a resident at Nexus Inc. Channel House when he suffered a seizure and later died from pulmonary aspiration on February 11, 2021.

In her published report, Coroner Olivia McTaggart said support worker Julie Magrath’s breach of “basic protocols” had led to her “failing in her duty” to Mr Hyde-Wyatt.

Ms Magrath was the only support worker on duty on the day of Mr Hyde-Wyatt’s death, and was covering five residents at the facility, when at 1.30am she heard a sound and went to check on him.

She saw Mr Hyde-Wyatt tossing and flailing his arms and thought he was having a seizure, so she began timing it.

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The seizure lasted for three minutes, during which Ms Magrath was said to have noticed his lips were blue – but that he was breathing, and she believed he was coming out of the seizure.

Ms Magrath later heard Mr Hyde-Wyatt snoring at 1.45am, and went to check on him four times between then and 5am.

It was at that time she turned on the lights and saw an unresponsive Mr Hyde-Wyatt with blood around his nose and on his pillow.

“At this point, Ms Magrath made the decision to call the on-call senior staff member … for guidance. She was advised to call an ambulance and did so,” Ms McTaggart wrote.

She began CPR until paramedics arrived, but Mr Hyde-Wyatt was declared dead at the scene.

Ms McTaggart said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

She noted Nexus employees were required to log into a client information management system at the start of each shift to become familiarised about their clients’ needs – which Ms Magrath had not done, despite believing Mr Hyde-Wyatt was having “mini-seizures” in the week before his death.

“If Ms Magrath had checked the system or had properly familiarised herself with Mr Hyde-Wyatt’s situation, it would have been evident that [he] had no history of seizures and that he had a heart condition which caused a significant medical risk,” Ms McTaggart wrote.

“If she had been equipped with this information at the time of his medical episode … the circumstances and Nexus Inc. policies dictated that an ambulance should have been called immediately to attend.”

Ms McTaggart said Ms Magrath “should have called an ambulance at the earliest opportunity”, or telephoned the on-call senior staff member for advice.

Ms McTaggart said Nexus Inc staff were required to familiarise themselves with client details before every shift by logging into a client information management system.

“Regardless of the cause of the event, it was unusual and potentially concerning.”

However, Ms McTaggart noted that it was “speculative” as to whether or not the attending paramedics would have recommended Mr Hyde-Wyatt be taken to hospital, if an ambulance had been called.

Ms Magrath’s employment with Nexus Inc. ceased after Mr Hyde-Wyatt’s death.

A coronial medical consultant and State Forensic Pathologist gave evidence at the inquest that Mr Hyde-Wyatt’s recovery after the seizure was a “plausible hypothesis”.

“Both indicated that Mr Hyde-Wyatt may well have suffered a subsequent aspiration event during the night that was responsible for his death,” she noted.

Both experts were unable to identify when Mr Hyde-Wyatt’s death occurred and that it may have been that he suffered a fatal aspiration after 4am.

“Ms Magrath’s breach of basic protocols, and thus failing in her duty to Mr Hyde-Wyatt, may have deprived [him] of a chance to be hospitalised, monitored and treated,” Ms McTaggart wrote.

“However, I cannot make any higher finding than this given the degree of speculation required to do so.”

She said she did not consider the company responsible for “any deficits in training, protocols, or procedures that might be connected with Ms Magrath’s actions”, or his death.