No mental health bed available for woman - coroner

The coroner said he was "concerned" about overall bed capacity within the local NHS mental health trust

A woman would not have taken her own life had more hospital beds been available, a coroner has written.

Nicola Rayner died on 6 June 2023 and had a history of struggling with her mental health.

Prior to her death, a psychiatrist and a mental health nurse wanted to admit her to a mental health ward in Suffolk, but no beds were available.

Cath Byford, deputy chief executive and chief people officer at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said the organisation was "taking action to improve".

Not isolated

An inquest into Ms Rayner's death concluded on 23 February and determined she died of suicide "resulting directly in a lack of mental health bed provision in Suffolk and nationally".

Senior coroner for Suffolk Nigel Parsley, in a prevention of future deaths (PFD) report following the inquest, said "the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern".

"Had an informal mental health bed been available on 6 June 2023, and Nicola had been admitted as both she and her psychiatrist had wished, her death would not have occurred," he said.

"I am therefore concerned in relation to the overall bed capacity for those patients like Nicola seeking informal inpatient admission."

He said Ms Rayner's case was not an isolated one.

Ms Rayner saw a mental health nurse at West Suffolk Hospital A&E department in Bury St Edmunds, who wanted to admit her immediately on 29 May 2023, according to the PFD report.

However, due to Bank Holiday pressures, no beds were available.

Shortly after she had a consultation with a psychiatrist who similarly wanted to admit her but faced the same issue.

According to Mr Parsley's report, no beds were available even at a national level.

He described how Ms Rayner's case mirrored another in Suffolk from 2020, and he said he was "concerned" that any additional measures since then had "neither adequately, or effectively" addressed the issue.

'Action to improve'

In a statement, Ms Byford said her thoughts were with Ms Rayner's family.

"We would like to pass our condolences to them and assure them that we are taking action to improve following her sad death," Ms Byford said.

“We would encourage Nicola's family to get in touch if they have any further questions or we can support them in any other way.”

The Department for Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line.