Hospital death mystery

THE MOTHER of a woman who died at the Gold Coast University Hospital after a prescription drug overdose received news of her daughter’s death just moments after being advised she could visit later that day, an inquest heard.

Mother-of-three Renae Jean Mann, 43, died at the hospital on May 14, 2014, almost 24 hours after it’s believed she took an overdose of prescription medication at her home.

A coronial inquest into her death began at the Southport Courthouse yesterday.

The inquest heard Ms Mann’s mother Lynette Mansfield was told by a nurse over the phone she could visit her daughter any time on May 14.

She said she planned to see her daughter that afternoon, expecting her to be in recovery.

“I asked would I be able to visit ... I only just put down the phone and I had a call from a social worker saying: ‘I’m sorry ... we couldn’t save your daughter’,” Ms Mansfield said.

“I almost collapsed. My daughter didn’t go to die at the hospital.”

Ms Mansfield said she believed Ms Mann had not deliberately overdosed.

“My daughter did not commit suicide,” Ms Mansfield said. “She loved life.”

The inquest heard Ms Mann arrived at the emergency department and had been discharged into the mental health assessment pod prior to passing away.

Following her death, a full review of hospital procedure was undertaken. Now, ED staff can no longer discharge patients to the mental health pod by verbal arrangement.

Gold Coast Health said they would consider any recommendations by the coroner.