Widow critical of help for veteran's mental health

Tony Hutchinson, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, was an infantry sergeant and served in Northern Ireland

The widow of a British Army veteran who took his own life while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) said she believes he would still be alive if he had received appropriate care.

During the 24 hours leading up to his death in 2015, 59-year-old Tony Hutchinson was discharged twice from Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield without a Mental Health Act assessment or a home crisis visit arranged.

After a recent compensation settlement with South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Wendy Hutchinson said they "didn’t have the proper systems in place to help him".

In a statement, the trust said it had since improved the support it offered to military veterans.

Wendy Hutchinson says her husband's PTSD was dismissed as alcoholism by health professionals

Mr Hutchinson, from Castleford was a sergeant in the Light Infantry and completed nine tours of Northern Ireland during the 1980s.

Overall, he served for 22 years and retired in 1992.

"He saw his mates being killed, he saw his mate stand on a mine right next to him and go flying in the air," Mrs Hutchinson said.

A memory of a young soldier he tried to give medical assistance to after he'd been shot stayed with him in particular.

"They ordered him away, and I think that stuck in his head."

Mr Hutchinson's mental health declined after leaving the forces, with his PTSD beginning with anxiety attacks.

On 2 December 2015, Mr Hutchinson took an overdose following two separate attendances at A&E where he sought help after expressing suicidal thoughts.

On both occasions, he was discharged without any support in place for his return home, his family said.

Wendy Hutchinson says she has had no formal acknowledgement or apology from the trust

Mrs Hutchinson believes his history of mental health issues and military service was not taken into account, with not all of his records accessible on the date in question as the hospital's system was down.

"The South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust didn’t have the proper systems in place to help him, either in terms of an assessment or treatment," she said.

“I can only hope that the trust, and all trusts, learns from their mistakes, as there are many people across the country struggling today as Tony did.”

A coroner returned "misadventure" as his cause of death at his inquest in 2017.

'They keep it inside'

After many years engaged in litigation with the trust, Ms Hutchinson's claim for compensation was settled in September.

She told the BBC the compensation did not go make up for what she or her husband had been through.

"I'm not worried about money. What I'm praying for is that they take serious consideration for military PTSD and listen to the carers who live it with the victim," she said.

"A lot of the military won't ask for help, they won't do it, they keep it inside.

"So it's people who are looking after them who should be able to ask for help and people come when they ask."

A spokesperson for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “We offer our sincere condolences to Tony’s wife Wendy, and all the family and loved ones affected by his death.

"Following Tony’s death we carried out a thorough investigation and acted upon any learning opportunities identified.

"This includes us becoming ‘veteran aware’ and improving the support we offer to veterans within our services."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.

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