Intelligent student Hannah Webster who suffered from depression ‘should not have been let home’ by mental health service

Hannah Webster 20 yrs

THE family of a “beautiful” Essex University student who was found hanging from a tree feel more could have been done to support her.

Hannah Webster, was found near the East Bay Allotments in Colchester on May 12.

An inquest yesterday heard Hannah, 20, was known to the South West Yorkshire Partnership and the Essex Partnership University Trust as she had attempted suicide before.

The banking and finance student had conversations with the trust in her home town of Dewsbury during her summer break last year, regarding depression and borderline personality disorder.

She had also been admitted to A&E in Colchester on May 9 of after calling her mum Deborah and sharing her feelings about her mental health.

Staff at the Essex Partnership University Trust assessed Hannah before sending her back for home treatment, not knowing about her medical history until afterwards.

However, Deborah said her daughter should have been kept in hospital.

A post mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as fatal pressure on the neck.

Insp Barry Atkinson, of Essex Police, was leading the search for Hannah after she went missing a couple of days later .

He said: “Upon arrival I saw a rucksack, there was some razor blades and some alcohol. On her left forearm there were some cuts.”

A till receipt was found, which was from an electrical wholesale shop in Colchester. Police linked the receipt with the rope Hannah had used to hang herself.

Melissa Harvey, deputy general manager for psychological services at the South West Yorkshire Partnership, said Hannah had been known to the service since March 2015, when she overdosed on paracetamol.

After staying as an inpatient at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary she was seen by a liaison team.

She said: “Following that assessment Hannah was referred to a home-based crisis team. Hannah did well with that team and was discharged on April 12.

“Unfortunately, a couple of days later she went missing but was found and returned home.”

On June 15, she was referred to the mental health team again following thoughts to harm herself.

Ms Harvey said: “At that point she told the liaison team it had been impulsive thinking and she was under the influence of cannabis and alcohol.”

On May 9, police were contacted by Deborah, after she had received a distressing call from her daughter.

 

Dr Robert McCarney, clinical psychologist for the Essex trust, which provides community health, mental health and learning disability services in Essex, said Hannah was visited by a street triage service and the police, and was taken to A&E in Colchester.

Following this she was reviewed by a community psychiatric nurse in her own home and was given an appointment to see a psychologist on May 11. On May 9, the team at Colchester faxed the service in Hannah’s home town to get her psychiatric history. This was provided, but was not received until after Hannah’s assessment.

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