Croydon Council has been singled out over the deaths of an elderly couple that perished in a South London house fire. Caroline and Bernard Cleall, both in their 70s, died from smoke inhalation after their detached house in Windemere Road, in Addiscombe, went up in flames at around 8pm on January 5 2022. Despite pressing a panic button, the operator did not hear the blaring smoke alarm.
When MyLondon reported from the tragic scene in 2022, one neighbour said they could smell something ‘electrical’ but had not heard anything. Another neighbour described the Clealls as ‘a kind old couple’, adding that the incident was ‘very sad’. At the time, a family member also confirmed the couple’s dog had died.
Now Assistant Coroner Ivy Collett has written to the local authority, demanding an explanation of how Caroline’s care was handled, including records of assessment that might have led to an enhanced service with an automatic smoke detector. The inquest heard Caroline, who had limited mobility, was given a care alarm pendant, but could not communicate properly due to the fire.
With Bernard incapacitated by the smoke, Caroline tried to relay information to the alarm’s call operator, but found it difficult because she was stuck in a different room, away from the main communication device. The operator also failed to hear the smoke alarm going off in the room next-door.
Carers eventually responded due to the panic alarm, but the fire brigade was only called when those carers arrived. By then it was already too late for the pensioners, who were declared dead at the scene.
In a prevention of future deaths report, Ms Collett told Croydon Council: “The firm view of the fire service is that telecare services should by default be recommended to include the enhanced package option.
“This includes a smoke detector which, when triggered, sends an urgent signal to the call operator without the need for the client to operate the pendant button. That automated call would result in the fire brigade being notified of an emergency immediately.”
Ms Collet also said she had concerns about the availability of hospital patient records for Croydon Adult Social Care, and the subsequent absence of any assessment about the appropriate care package for Caroline.
“I am concerned that the inability of LB Croydon Adult Social Care professionals to access records of an earlier assessment undertaken (and advice given) by their colleagues, together with the NHS LIFE team, deprives LB Croydon Adult Social Care of the ability to review the client’s needs properly (with the necessary information) following discharge into the community,” she wrote.
‘Deepest condolences’
A Croydon Council spokesperson said: “We would like to express our deepest condolences to Mr and Mrs Cleall’s family. We acknowledge the coroner’s report, and we are already working with our partners at Croydon Health Service to improve the way we share assessment records.
“We will be reporting back to the coroner to provide assurance on our progress in the coming weeks. We have also carried out a comprehensive review of our Careline and Technology Enabled Care Service, and we will be working with partners and residents to continuously improve our service, so that we can provide the best possible care.”
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