Collette Taheny, 54, of Avon Road was found floating unconscious off Harwich beach on September 2, after being spotted leaving a hotel shortly after midnight, an inquest heard on Tuesday last week.
Miss Taheny had distanced herself from mental health services after her favourite nurse left North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust in January.
Addressing mental health chiefs at the Essex Coroner’s Court in Victoria Road South, Chelmsford, her sister Martina Tyler asked: “The difficulties are with the family – who do they talk to when the patient says the family cannot talk to her care coordinator?
“You’re really between a rock and a hard place, so is there a body that family members can talk to?”
In response, community mental health team manager James Sawtell admitted there should have been a “professional meeting” about Collette.
Speaking on his second day in the role, but with 12 years’ experience at the trust, Mr Sawtell said: “They have implemented a policy now to manage clients who disengage.
“We’re getting people to attend courses to learn more about improving communication.”
Miss Taheny, who lived alone, first liaised with mental health services in 1995. She was known for neglecting medication and was admitted to the Linden Centre in Broomfield in August, 2012, and detained under the Mental Health Act in February 2013.
Read more at http://www.essexlive.news/mental-health-bosses-taken-action-chelmsford/story-20659546-detail/story.html#Ok5uYJkPWx71KpwA.99
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.