Coroner warns of care failures over woman's death

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

A coroner has raised concerns about the lack of a multi-agency approach to the care a woman received before her body was found in a river three weeks after she disappeared.

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

North Yorkshire Coroner Catherine Cundy said in a Prevention of Future Deaths report that although Ms Taylor had been assessed by mental health services, "no multi-agency meeting or approach" to support her had been agreed prior to her disappearance.

A spokesperson for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust said changes had since been made to improve services.

An inquest held earlier this month 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".

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

Search teams had scoured the River Derwent for signs of Ms Taylor before her body was found

In her Prevention of Future Deaths Report to Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, Ms Cundy said Ms Taylor was assessed on three separate occasions by crisis and acute health teams.

During one of those assessments, it was suggested that Ms Taylor might want to refer herself to a private psychotherapy service at some point in the future.

However, at Ms Taylor's next assessment, she explained she had left a message with the private provider and received no response from them, but the team "simply suggested she try again", Ms Cundy said in her report.

Ms Cundy said: "Mental health services were aware at the time of the second and third assessments that a number of agencies were involved with Ms Taylor, but no multi-agency meeting or approach was suggested or called by them to consider the most appropriate support for Ms Taylor."

She said action should be taken by the trust to avoid a similar situation happening again in a bid to prevent future deaths.

Responding, Elspeth Devanney, group director for nursing and quality at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, said: "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."

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.