Young woman's depression ignored by hospital staff

A 24 year old female committed suicide on a hospital ward, despite having been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

A Coroner’s Inquest has outlined fundamental deficiencies in the care and treatment the woman received.

Ward Supervisors at the hospital had previously decided that the woman was well enough to have her observations reduced from six per hour to only two.

The Coroner dealing with the Inquest criticised the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Trust, outlining the fundamental deficiencies in the care and treatment of the patient. The Coroner also found there to be a lack of co-ordinated management, a failure to share information and an ad hoc intervention in addressing particular events and crisis with no clear, considered and comprehensive plan to respond to the illness.

Linder Myers Solicitors has a specialist Clinical and Medical Negligence Team who have conducted many successful cases for individuals involved in and subjected to negligent Mental Health care and supervision.