Blackburn man who 'wanted to make everyone laugh' died of misadventure

Jack Biggs, 29, died on November 5 having recently started taking fentanyl to help with pain he had suffered for most of his life.

He suffered from retroverted hips and hypermobility for which he had been taking oxycodone as a way to alleviate the pain.

Jack’s family, who were present at the inquest held at Accrington Town Hall, said he “just wanted to make everyone laugh” and that he loved fishing.

He was a Manchester City supporter and attended their last two matches prior to his death, and their last photo of him was him holding a replica Premier League trophy outside the Etihad Stadium.

Jack Biggs (Image: Blackburn Funeral Services/Family)

Jack had wanted to come off oxycodone but was struggling with the amount of reduction his GP at St Georges Surgery in Blackburn was suggesting.

He was regularly seen by Dr Hader Naweed where they would discuss lowering the dosage of Jack’s oxycodone, and this was reduced by 10 per cent every two weeks.

Jack’s family had concerns that Dr Naweed was not regularly at the practice, and this was put down to him taking most of October off through annual leave as this was the only time it could be taken.

It was noted during the inquest more should have been done to help Jack speak to other doctors at the surgery.

Dr Naweed said the weaning procedure could have been done by his colleagues and it could have been delayed or reduced over a longer period.

On the Monday prior to Jack’s death, an incident at St Georges Surgery where, in an act of despair he picked up a chair when he was refused more medication, led to Jack being removed from the surgery’s list of patients.

Jack rang the surgery the day after the incident to apologise and say it was out of character and was told his apology would be passed on.

In the meantime, Jack contacted Compass Medical Practice, which is commissioned by the Integrated Care Board for patients without a practice and to make sure they are not left without.

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He told Dr Sayed Aisha Batool Malik he was in a lot of pain and had been struggling, and that a reduction to 70g of oxycodone had not been working.

Dr Malik added Jack seemed “gentle, sad, and like he was in a lot of pain.”

That weekend, over November 4 and 5, when Jack had first tried one of the fentanyl patches, he said he felt good but tired, especially after having spent time playing with his son.

At around 4.30pm on November 5 he went to sleep and at around 5.30pm when checked on, his family found him unresponsive.

Police officers attended along with paramedics, though CPR given by them and his family was unsuccessful.

Officers said there were no suspicious circumstances and no evidence of third-party involvement in Jack’s death.

Coroner Kate Bisset recorded a medical cause of death of multiple medication toxicity and concluded misadventure, saying Jack had intended to take the medication but his death was an unintended consequence.

Ms Bisset said: “Jack Lewis Biggs died at his home in Blackburn having consumed an excess of medication. He struggled with pain which required daily medication to manage. Oxycodone did not take Jack’s life.

“I cannot find St Georges Surgery, in prescribing or reducing that, has caused or contributed to Jack’s death.”

Dr Naweed, when asked if there would be feedback to practitioners about the inquest, said there would be.

Ms Bisset also said she would be writing to the Clinical Commission Group to find out how long a transfer of records between practices should take, and ask for that to be sped up.