Mother and toddler died after being hit by train
Taplow: Inquest hears woman was assessed for psychosis but not diagnosed
A mother who cradled her daughter before she was struck by a train in Taplow was not diagnosed with a mental health condition despite ‘possible’ symptoms, an inquest has heard.
Leighane Melsadie Redmond and her three-year-old daughter Melsadie Adella-Rae Parris died at Taplow station on February 18, 2019.
A four-week inquest into their deaths is ongoing at Beaconsfield Coroner’s Court, with witnesses from NHS Oxford Health Foundation Trust answering questions on Thursday.
The inquest was told that Ms Redmond was assessed for psychosis by two clinicians for two hours on December 29, 2018, following concerns from family members.
Dr Gautam Bhatia, a consultant psychiatrist for the healthcare trust, explained that ‘most assessments’ were often carried out by only one clinician for 60 minutes.
As a result of the assessment, a report by two clinicians made it ‘very, very clear’ that there were ‘no signs of psychosis whatsoever’, but that Ms Redmond was suffering from moderate depression.
Coroner Ian Wade asked whether individuals were often ‘guarded’ during assessments for psychosis.
Dr Bhatia said that it can be ‘a challenge’ when patients try to mask symptoms, although clinicians are often about to detect symptoms through assessments when they are being hidden.
He also explained that it would be ‘quite unusual’ for an individual to experience symptoms of psychosis on one day and not the next, and that Ms Redmond ‘presented herself well’ during the assessment with clinicians.
The inquest heard how some pieces of information about Ms Redmond’s actions and behaviours were not passed onto the clinicians.
Dr Bhatia explained how ‘possible’ symptoms such as a fear of being watched would ‘definitely have been helpful to know’, but added: “Everything has to be taken into context [as to] why it has been said.
“The main diagnostic tool is physical observation,” Dr Bhatia continued, but explained how concerns raised ‘would have been explored’ in greater detail had they been reported to clinicians.
The inquest continues.
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