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Coroner issues warning to council after tenant living in mouldy flat dies of lung disease
A coroner has issued a warning to a council after a tenant died of lung disease after living in a mould-affected property for months.
Neena Sharma, the coroner for Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire, sent a prevention of future deaths report to the head of housing at Mansfield District Council regarding the death of the 52-year-old tenant in June this year.
The coroner has begun her investigation, but unusually the report has been sent before an inquest takes place.
Medical experts have concluded that the mould could have contributed to the tenant’s illness.
According to the report, the woman “identified severe mould” in her council house and took photographs of the mould before she died.
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At the start of April 2023, six months after moving into the home, the tenant was diagnosed with a lung disease called interstitial pneumonitis, which got progressively worse and required frequent hospital visits until she was taken to intensive care in late May.
She died a couple of weeks later.
The pathologist who conducted the post mortem told the coroner: “In the view of history and autopsy findings, in my opinion death was due to acute infective exacerbation of interstitial lung disease.
“Mould in her house could have contributed for the development of interstitial lung disease.”
The respiratory consultant also said in his report to the coroner that mould may have contributed to or caused her death.
While the forthcoming inquest will try to establish whether or not this was the case, the PFD report to Mansfield Council stated: “I am concerned that mould in [the tenant’s] property and other properties in that area owned and maintained by Mansfield District Council may pose a risk that future deaths could occur.
“I ask for the aforesaid properties to be inspected for mould and action be taken to ensure any further exposure to mould by any tenant is minimised.”
It is not stated in the report whether or not the woman complained to the council about the mould.
Mansfield Council did not comment on whether a complaint had been filed.
Jill Finnesey, head of housing at Mansfield Council, said: “Given that this is an ongoing matter and out of respect for the deceased and their family, we do not feel it is appropriate to respond further at the moment.
“We are, of course, liaising directly with the coroner.”
The report comes after a coroner ruled that two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from prolonged exposure to mould in a Rochdale Boroughwide Housing flat.
Awaab’s Law, which was added as an amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill, will require social landlords to respond to and fix reported hazards within a specified time frame, or rehouse tenants where a home cannot be made safe.
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