Rebecca Handcock acted for a local authority in an Article 2 inquest before a jury concerning the death of a young woman (AJN).
Background to the inquest
The young woman absconded from Mental Health Act detention in a hospital. She had been taken there by police under s136 of the Mental Health Act as she appeared acutely mentally unwell and intoxicated.
In A&E, she had been initially assessed by social workers from Rebecca’s local authority client, but did not meet the threshold for being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Therefore she was released into the community. However, she was returned to hospital within a few hours after a member of the public prevented her from taking her own life.
During the subsequent assessment, social workers did find her to be detainable under section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
While arrangements were being made to transfer her from A&E to a secure unit, she was escorted out to an ambulance bay by security and nursing staff to have a cigarette. At this point, she absconded on foot. She ended up at a mainline rail station where she got away and was fatally electrocuted.
At the inquest
The jury at the inquest considered:
• the safety and security at the hospital
• the use of A&E for the treatment and containment of mentally unwell patients
• the use of supervision to allow detained patients to leave the hospital grounds to smoke.
Jury's conclusion
The jury concluded that AJN died as a result of misadventure contributed to by neglect, specifically concerning the failures of the nursing and security staff to provide appropriate supervision in the face of known risks.
No report preventing future deaths was made.