The Daily Telegraph

Priory’s neglect contribute­d to patient suicide, jury decides

- By Daily Telegraph Reporter

A WOMAN who blogged about mental health and took her own life was failed by a psychiatri­c hospital treating her, a jury has found.

Beth Matthews, 26, was being treated at the Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal in Stockport when she died after taking a poisonous substance she had ordered from Russia in March last year. She told staff it was protein powder.

An inquest at Manchester South coroner’s court concluded that she died from suicide contribute­d to by neglect.

Ms Matthews, from Cornwall, was being treated on the NHS for a personalit­y disorder, the hearing was told. She was considered at high risk of suicide, having attempted to take her own life several times, but was described in court as “bright” and “vivacious”.

The hospital provided “inadequate care of a highly vulnerable patient”, the jury found, adding that it was “evident there were serious inconsiste­ncies across all levels of her care plan”.

This care plan, which the court heard had a label stating only staff should open it, was criticised by the jury.

They found there was a widespread “lack of communicat­ion, failing to escalate serious risk factors, lack of team cohesion, and reliance on inaccurate and inadequate informatio­n”.

A care worker had written in her notes that everything Ms Matthews received “must be checked”, and that “we need to be opening her parcels for her”.

But the court heard that she was allowed to open the package with two staff members monitoring her. The staff were “unable to prevent her from consuming” the substance, the jury found.

The Priory Group admitted that if the patient’s care plan had been followed, she would not have been able to ingest the poison. A spokesman said: “We fully accept the jury’s findings and acknowledg­e that far greater attention should have been given to Beth’s care plan.

“At the time of Beth’s unexpected death, we took immediate steps to address the issues around how we document risk and communicat­e patients’ care plans, alongside our processes for receiving and opening post.

“We want to extend our deepest condolence­s to Beth’s family and friends for their loss. Beth’s attempts to overcome her mental health challenges had been an inspiratio­n for many.

“Although unexpected deaths are extremely rare, we recognise that every loss of life in our care is a tragedy.”

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