DOCS MISSED THE CHANCE TO SAVE DALE
Suicide dad probe hears claim
DOCTORS “missed a chance” to save a young dad who took his own life, a fatal accident inquiry heard yesterday.
Dale Thomson killed himself in January 2015, days after he left the Carseview psychiatric centre, Dundee.
The 28-year-old’s body was found in his city flat by his mother Mandy Mclaren, who was in court to hear the closing stages of the inquiry.
In his final submission, procurator fiscal depute Steven Quither claimed a “chance was missed” by NHS Tayside staff to prevent the tragedy.
He said: “Further assessments should have been considered as Mr Thomson was exhibiting a wide range of bizarre behaviour and had a background of depression. But there was a lack of assessment and a chance missed. It may have led to a different outcome.”
He said that after Dale’s death, NHS Tayside took steps to address all issues raised and wrote to the family with “an unconditional apology.” The “care fell well below the standards they would expect”, he added.
Mark Fitzpatrick QC, for NHS Tayside, questioned whether it had been established Dale was mentally ill.
He said: “The court has to be satisfied in the balance of possibilities that Mr Thomson’s suicide was driven by mental illness.
“There is a dearth of evidence he had a treatable mental illness.”
Earlier in the inquiry, a tearful Mandy told how Dale was fighting “demons” in his head and depression.
The family turned to Carseview for help after he barricaded himself in his flat.
But they say the system failed him when doctors allowed him to walk free and take his own life days later.
Summing up before he retired to make a decision, Sheriff George Way said: “This has been a difficult case to hear.”