Nurse left without mental health support - inquest

Victoria Taylor's disappearance prompted extensive searches in the Malton area

The family of a nurse who drowned in a river have said she "had been failed" and left without the mental health support she needed.

Victoria Taylor, 34, was last seen at her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on 30 September 2024, prompting extensive searches before her body was recovered from the River Derwent on 22 October.

An inquest heard Ms Taylor had also been rescued from the river in an incident two months earlier.

Returning a narrative conclusion, North Yorkshire coroner Catherine Cundy said she would be submitting a Prevention of Future Deaths report in relation to the mental health care Ms Taylor had received.

The inquest heard how Ms Taylor, who was known as Vixx, had struggled with alcohol and mental health problems related to childhood trauma, which Ms Cundy described as "leaving an indelible mark on her life in the form of depression, anxiety and chronic feelings of worthlessness".

She said she could not be sure of Ms Taylor's intentions when she went into the river given her alcohol intake and behaviour witnesses had observed earlier.

Ms Cundy said she would be writing to the Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) and a number of other agencies with her concerns over the support Ms Taylor was given.

The inquest heard Ms Taylor was pulled from the river just two months before her death

Ms Cundy said she found it "difficult to understand" why community mental health services repeatedly declined to offer her support as her situation deteriorated during 2024.

The court had heard Ms Taylor had to be pulled from the River Derwent by her brother two months before her death, in July 2024, and was taken to hospital.

Three weeks later she was taken to A&E because she took an overdose after drinking alcohol.

Ms Cundy said community mental health services did not get involved even after these incidents.

At one point during the inquest Ms Taylor's sister Emma Worden turned to representatives of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) and said they were going "round in circles".

"Nobody looked her in the eye and said we will help you, and she's not here now because you failed her."

Ms Taylor's body was recovered from the River Derwent three weeks after she had disappeared

The inquest heard Ms Taylor was one of five siblings, originally from Huddersfield and had one child.

She had worked as the manager of a dementia unit at a care home and had been a carer for 14 years before becoming a nurse.

A statement from her partner, Matthew Williams, said she had been a "wonderful person, loving partner and a doting mother".

'Systemic neglect'

In a statement following the inquest, Ms Worden said: "Vixx was a devoted mother, a loving fiancée, and a fiercely loyal sister.

"She showed up for those she loved with warmth, humour, and a deep sense of care. Her relationships were central to her identity, and she gave everything she had to protect and support the people around her."

Ms Worden said her sister had lived with "challenges" and had reached out for help.

"She made herself visible to services and yet, time and again, she was failed and left without the support she needed.

"The failures in her care were not isolated incidents. They were part of a wider pattern of systemic neglect and under-resourcing in mental health services. Vixx deserved better. She deserved to be seen, heard, and supported. Instead, she was left to carry burdens alone."

She said her sister's death was a "tragedy" but must be a turning point.

"Let this inquest be a step towards accountability, learning, and change."

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Elspeth Devanney, group director for nursing and quality at TEWV, said the trust's thoughts and "deepest condolences" were with Ms Taylor's family at this "incredibly difficult time".

"Following Victoria's tragic death, we completed a review and have made changes to improve our services.

"We will respond to the coroner's report and take action to continue to improve and provide high-quality care to the people in our communities."

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