‘Hannah was let down’

THE family of a student who sadly took her own life claim she was let down by a hospital.

Hannah Webster, 20, who was studying finance and banking at Essex University in Colchester, was found hanged near allotments close to a river in the town at about 12.10pm on May 12.

Her mother, Deborah Webster, revealed that Hannah had been in A&E at Colchester Hospital but had been discharged before they had received medical records from the South West Yorkshire Partnership which had been caring for Hannah in Dewsbury.

She said: “In my opinion, they have failed her. They had a duty of care and they failed that.”

She added: “She was a beautiful, intelligent girl and we love her and miss her.

“Our lives will never be the same again. She was well liked at university and she wanted to work abroad and to be a mentor at university.”

At an inquest into her death yesterday coroner Caroline BeasleyMurray said: “I have come to the very sad conclusion that Hannah intended to take her own life. She clearly was very troubled.”

Hannah had been suffering with mental health issues since March 2015 when she was diagnosed with depression.

She was also suffering borderline personality disorder and was under the care of the South West Yorkshire Partnership, who regularly made visits to her home in Dewsbury for assessment.

The mental health trust had been in correspondence with Hannah from March 2015 until August 2016.

After making repeated attempts to take her own life over the past two years she rang her mother from her student house in Colchester to say she was struggling.

On May 9 Deborah called Essex Police who went to her home before taking her to Colchester’s accident and emergency department.

Insp Barry Atkinson, of Essex Police, said: “Hannah telephoned her mother and stated she cannot take the pain anymore.”

She was discharged from the hospital a few hours later and intensive home care was granted, but she sadly went missing.

Deborah again called Essex Police on May 11 after becoming increasingly concerned for her daughter’s welfare.

A full-scale search was carried out by a special search team and she was then found dead on May 12.

While she was in A&E a few days earlier, Colchester Hospital had requested mental health records from the Yorkshire-based trust, on behalf of Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust (EPUT).

EPUT sent a fax outlining the request and did not receive the details back until after Hannah had been assessed and discharged by a clinician.

Deborah said: “We want to know why she wasn’t sectioned or detained.”

EPUT also requested information of Hannah’s psychiatric records from the university who said that, due to a data sharing protocol, were not allowed to give them out.

However, this was not the case and the university could readily provide the trust with the data.

The Essex-based trust has since carried out an investigation into the sharing of data between the two institutions.

Emma Strivens, service manager at EPUT, said: “Essex University have a protocol for information sharing.

“I think it is really important that we do have a really positive working relationship with them but in this instance it did not pull through.”

Hannah’s family also believe that adequate care was not provided once she was discharged from the hospital on May 9.

Hannah’s aunty Karen Spurr said: “The main triggers were being on her own and splitting up with her girlfriend. They left her at home on her own and she had no support.”

Coroner Ms Beasley-Murray added: “She clearly was very loved by all of you, members of the family, who are here.

“I would like to say to you that I express sympathy to you. Not only have you lost her but you have had the ordeal of sitting through this inquest and have done that with dignity.

“I turn to the two trusts at the back and say that I hope that lessons have been learnt and hope that the actions are implemented.”

EPUT has been approached for comment.