Why was suicidal mum sent home to die?
Mother of 3 took own life less than 24 hours after leaving hospital
A FAMILY has demanded to know why a traumatised mum who took her own life was released from hospital.
Denise Maher died within hours of being sent home after a previous suicide bid.
A SUICIDAL mum of three took her own life less than 24 hours after being sent home from hospital where she had been treated for a drug overdose.
NHS officials are to investigate the treatment of Denise Maher, 36, who was found dead in Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, on Monday.
The day before her death, she had overdosed on prescription drugs and tried to burst out of an ambulance four times as paramedics attempted to take her to hospital.
Police were called to restrain Denise and escort her to Wishaw General Hospital, where medics told officers to take her home a couple of hours later.
Last night, her grieving family demanded answers from NHS Lanarkshire on why the mum was left “without a safety net” and discharged so soon.
Denise’s nephew, Scott McCord, 21, was one of the traumatised family members who found her body on Monday afternoon.
Fighting back tears, he told the Record: “Denise hadn’t been right for a few days, she wasn’t herself at all.
“Mentally, she had been spiralling downhill. But we’re in total shock.”
Former carer Denise lived with her three children, Amy, 16, Liam, 11, and Mikayla, seven.
The children were staying with their dad and Denise’s ex-partner, Brian Keenan, at another property in the town
for the October school holidays. Denise’s desperate phone call to Brian on Sunday lunchtime sparked the 999 call which turned into a nightmare.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Scott said: “She went through a few tests at Wishaw General and by 11pm, doctors said it was safe for her to go home.
“We understand that the NHS have had major budget and staff cuts but I can’t believe they let her go home.
“She burst out of an ambulance four times – she wasn’t fit to be out of hospital.”
Denise called her sister, Scott’s mum, Elizabeth Maher at about 9am on Monday.
Elizabeth and her other sister Michelle took turns in regularly popping in to check on Denise throughout the morning.
Community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) at Lanark Health Centre were informed and called Denise to make sure she was OK.
By mid-afternoon, Elizabeth and Scott got a worried call from a CPN after Denise’s phone rang out four times. Scott said: “We live round the corner from Denise so my mum, my girlfriend and I ran round to the house. When we got there, Denise was dead. It was horrible.”
Scott has launched a Just Giving page to help raise money for Denise’s funeral. In just two days, £750 has been raised.
Last night, NHS Lanarkshire said a review will be carried out into Denise’s death.
Margaret Serrels, service manager for mental health and learning disability services, said: “We will carry out a full review in line with the NHS Lanarkshire’s significant adverse event review process.
“As part of the review process, we will contact the patient’s family to give them the opportunity to share their views and raise any questions. A copy of the final report will be provided to the family.”