Investigation and inquest
On 11th December 2020, Alison Mutch OBE, Senior Coroner, opened an inquest into the death of Kate Hedges who died on 27th November 2020 at Gatley Railway Station, Gatley aged 35 years. The investigation concluded with an inquest which I heard between 19th – 22nd April 2022.
The inquest concluded with a Narrative Conclusion to the effect that Kate Hedges died as a consequence of injuries sustained when she ████████
████████ whilst the balance of her mind was disturbed by severe mental illness
Circumstances of the death
Kate Hedges died on 27th November 2020 at Gatley Station as a consequence of injuries sustained when she was ████████. Ms Hedges had deliberately
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Ms Hedges had a complex mental health history and had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Following an acute deterioration in her mental health, Ms Hedges was admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act where she underwent monitoring and treatment with antipsychotic medication.
On 27th October 2020, Ms Hedges was discharged from hospital under the care of the Home Based Treatment Team. Ms Hedges' family were neither informed of the decision to discharge her nor consulted in this regard.
Ms Hedges remained under the care of the Home Based Treatment Team following a house move on 5th November 2020. After this point in time family members considered Ms Hedges to seem low in mood and withdrawn. Both in Hospital and when followed up in the community Ms Hedges was consistently considered to present a low risk of deliberate self-harm, citing her son as a major protective factor.
Coroner’s concerns
To the Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
1. The court heard evidence that the Trust’s Psychological Therapy serviced used (and continues to use) a different computerised record-keeping system from that used by staff providing acute mental health services, which the latter staff group do not necessarily have access to. It is a matter of concern that this approach means staff undertaking risk assessments and formulating care plans may on occasion be doing so without access to all relevant information. This was certainly true in Ms Hedges’ case.
2. It is also a matter of concern that, following disclosure by Ms Hedges at a multidisciplinary meeting of a serious allegation to the effect that she was touched inappropriately by another patient, the Trust’s own safeguarding policy was not followed.
To the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
1. The court heard evidence to the effect that Ms Hedges often found the environment of a (mixed-sex) mental health ward distressing and difficult, both as a result of her illness and the ongoing effects of traumatic experiences endured at various stages of her life.
It is a matter of concern that modern mental health service design and provision is not consistently or sufficiently trauma-informed, with services being delivered to people such as Ms Hedges who have experienced trauma in a way which is likely to cause a patient to feel unsafe and excluded, thus undermining goals for treatment.