Investigation after tragic death of NHS worker ‘after safe restraint course' at Sheffield health trust

The man, understood to have been aged 41, and believed to have had a medical condition, is said to have suffered a seizure during the session, which was within the same sprawling NHS site as the Northern General Hospital.

The Care Quality Commission and the Health and Safety Executive have both been made aware of the death.

The Star understands the man who died was a mental health care assistant, who worked for the Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust and who had been receiving training, called ‘respect training’, at the Longley Centre, within the complex, on the afternoon of Monday, June 27.

One former health worker, who asked not to be named, said he had been made aware of the tragedy, and was concerned about the incident, because he understood there was no defibrillator there, no emergency ‘red bag’, or alarms. He raised concerns as to whether the man should have been asked to do the training due to his medical condition.

Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust NHS Foundation has refused to comment on the allegation.

A spokesman for the foundation said only: “We can confirm that a member of staff was taken ill and later died.”

A spokesman for the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and adult social care, confirmed it had been notified of the incident.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive, the independent regulator for health and safety in the workplace, said: “We are aware of an incident and currently making enquiries.”