Coroners warn health secretary of clozapine deaths

Coroners have alerted the health and social care secretary for England to two deaths from side effects of the antipsychotic clozapine and asked what action he intends to take to prevent future deaths.

Two coroners have sent “regulation 28” letters to Matt Hancock and two NHS trusts after the deaths of Julia MacPherson and Tom Jackson, amid concerns that healthcare staff may not be sufficiently aware of the drug’s serious side effects.

Coroners have a duty to send such letters if information emerges during an inquest that could be used to prevent other people from dying in the future.

MacPherson, who …