A coroner has vowed to write to health chiefs after a psychiatric patient died following an unusual reaction to drugs given while in hospital.

Dr Peter Dean told an inquest he would be writing to hospital authorities to express his concerns over the treatment of Adam Smith who died almost a month after being admitted to Rochford Hospital.

A post mortem revealed the 25-year-old died of bronchial pneumonia due to a rare reaction to what could either have been methadone or tranquillisers given to him.

Dr Dean was concerned the methadone treatment appeared to have been started at the request of the confused patient and had not been specifically monitored in the early days.

He also expressed his worries over the accuracy of note-taking by a member of staff at the hospital following routine observations of Mr Smith every 15 minutes.

Dr Dean said: "I am not implying these were a cause or contribution to his death but I am looking to prevent similar fatalities in the future. I think there is enough here to justify cause for concern."

The inquest heard how Mr Smith, of Pantile Avenue, Southend, had a history of drug abuse and psychiatric problems. He was admitted to Rochford Hospital on July 9 after police saw him walking along London Road in Westcliff.

He was sectioned under the mental health act and spent four days in Rochford Hospital where he was given methadone and tranquillisers.

This was confirmed by Jason Farrell, a member of the nursing staff on duty at the time. He said: "Mr Smith asked to be prescribed methadone after he stated he had been using heroin. We had no reason to believe otherwise."

Mr Smith was transferred to Southend Hospital after nursing staff noticed he had developed a problem with his breathing and failed to wake him. A doctor who examined him on arrival diagnosed he had signs of severe damage to the upper part of the brain.

He died on August 3 from pneumonia. Pathologist Dr Peter Atkinson, said Mr Smith had extensive brain damage. Dr Dean recorded a verdict of misadventure.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.