Joanna Lynch had begged for help from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust’s out-of-hours mental health helpline, Hospital at Home, in the weeks leading up to her death from an overdose, an inquest heard. But her desperate pleas to be admitted to hospital and threats to take her own life were not acted upon by staff. On July 4, 2014, after becoming concerned because they had not heard from her since the previous day, her parents called police who managed to get into her flat and found Miss Lynch dead. The 30-year-old had taken an overdose of prescription medication.
At the inquest at Portsmouth Guildhall Dr Ian McCafferty, a locum consultant psychiatrist from the trust, read out details of two calls made to Hospital at Home in the hours before her death in which Miss Lynch told a care worker ‘she couldn’t take it any more’ and she ‘might’ take an overdose. He said the notes read that the call was ended by the care worker who told her she should prepare for bed.
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Filed under: Uncategorized, mental health, Suicide
A story heard far to often but very rarely reported in the media. Very sad. Crisis ‘care’ is not fit for purpose in this country.
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