Jury deliberates on death of mental health nurse

An inquest jury is set to deliver a verdict over the death of Lily Lucas

A jury has retired to consider its verdict at an inquest into the death of a mental health nurse who was found unresponsive at a private hospital.

Lily Lucas, 28, was found unconscious at the Cygnet Hospital near Weston-super-Mare in September 2022, where she had been admitted as a patient. She died in hospital in Bristol the next day.

Ms Lucas, from Malmesbury, Wiltshire, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and possible PTSD.

The jury at Avon Coroners Court heard she was a “beautiful and loving person” who had a heart attack after drinking too much water.

The inquest, opened by coroner Dr Peter Harrowing, is examining the circumstances of Ms Lucas' death.

She was admitted to the Cygnet Hospital under the Mental Health Act on 15 June 2022 after her mental health began to deteriorate and upon her intake, the schizophrenia and possible PTSD diagnosis was made.

On 5 September, she was prescribed the antipsychotic drug Clozapine to help manage her symptoms after they worsened.

The jury at Avon Coroner's Court, in Bristol, heard Ms Lucas and her family were concerned about the prescription.

In the hours leading up to her collapse, the jury heard, Ms Lucas was seen drinking excessive volumes of water and eating excessively large quantities of food which was "uncharacteristic".

The jury has been asked by the coroner to consider whether there were a number of failures in areas of Ms Lucas' care, including the water intake, the events prior to her collapse and the subsequent emergency response.

The cause of her death is not in dispute, and she died following cardiac arrest.

The coroner ruled that the drugs Ms Lucas was prescribed did not cause or contribute to her death.

Her excessive intake of water would have caused a fall in sodium and electrolytes, which triggered cardiac arrest.

The jury has retired to consider its verdict.