Hospital doctor who felt ‘belittled’ took own life
Bereaved medic, 35, struggled to cope with work pressures
ABIRMINGHAM Queen Elizabeth Hospital doctor who felt ‘belittled’ at work and endured a family bereavement tragically took her own life, an inquest found.
Much-loved and gifted Dr Vaishnavi Kumar ‘struggled to cope’ with work stresses and often returned home crying.
The 35-year-old junior doctor, known as Vaish, who previously told how the Covid pandemic had “taken its toll”, took a lethal cocktail of medication before waiting more than three hours to call for an ambulance. By the time she arrived at City Hospital she was critically ill.
Despite resuscitation attempts over 90 minutes and a bid to reverse the effects of the overdose, she sadly passed away, just after 7am on June 22.
Her father Ravi Kumar, who is also a doctor, told Birmingham Coroner’s Court that her daughter felt the QE was a “hypercritical environment to work in.”
Giving evidence at the inquest, he said: “She used to say it was a very hypercritical place. They used to pick up small little things. Belittle and be a bit condescending in the way they used to behave there.
“Most of the time she used to come back home and cry a little bit. There was one particular incident she was mentioning, one of the consultants scoffed at her doing the handover of an acute case... In full public view, she was laughed at. It was very insensitive and she was really very upset at that time.”
Her father said she did not make any complaints about any colleague’s behaviour and ‘got on with her job’.
The medic, who specialised in diabetes and endocrinology, hoped to finish her placement and accept a position at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
But her father said when she knew she was not moving to a different hospital ‘that is when she really started going down’. He said: “She was struggling to cope from December 2021 onwards. She would say ‘I don’t want to stay at the QE anymore. I’m looking forward to going to Stoke Hospital’.”
The inquest was told that the doctor had voluntarily requested to stay at the QE, with her email request accepted and extended by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust for a further six months.
The hearing was also told she was grieving the loss of her grandfather, who died in March.
But her career was said to be flourishing. Despite a 40-day absence, the talented doctor had caught up with training, which included an e-portfolio, and assessments needed to complete her junior doctor qualification, the hearing was told.
Her training supervisor Dr John Ayuk, a QE consultant endocrinologist, told the hearing that she did not inform him of any work stresses which could have contributed to her suicidal state of mind, the hearing was told. He described his “shock and sadness” at her death.
The doctor, who suffered from a condition of low platelet level which causes increased bleeding, told paramedics she worked at the QE but said “under no circumstances would she liked to be conveyed there.” The paramedic crew also found three typed documents which she had signed.
Birmingham and Solihull Assistant Coroner Ian Dreelan said that Dr Kumar had previously contacted a mental health service in 2019. She self-referred again more recently “citing work stress and a recent family
She was commended for her ability to unite teams, supporting junior colleagues, and her dedication to patient care. Dad
bereavement as contributory factors.” She was on a waiting list to be seen due to resource shortages and would get an appointment if there was a cancellation. But this information was not passed on to her, the hearing was told.
The coroner said there was a “combination of factors” which led her to wanting to take her own life.
“There was an underlying medical condition, which was managed, but over a passage of time must have
been a drain on her both psychologically and emotionally,” he said.
“Also the family bereavement she had suffered and the work stress she had experienced and mentioned to a clinician when she sought help.”
Giving his conclusion, Mr Dreelan said: “Vaish intended to take her own life and she intended to do so at the time she took it. I will find a conclusion of suicide in this case on the balance of probabilities and from the evidence I have heard.”