Haydon Croucher: Mum 'completely let down' by son's care failings

Haydon Croucher's mother Tracey Furness told his inquest he "was begging for help" before he died

The mother of a man who took his own life said she feels "completely let down" by a mental health trust after it admitted failings in care.

Haydon Croucher, 24, from Milton Keynes was the half-brother of missing woman Leah Croucher. He died in November 2019.

His mother, Tracey Furness, said by speaking about the care breaches her son would not have "died in vain".

The mental health trust involved said changes had been made after his death.

Ms Furness said Mr Croucher "sought fun and adventure in everything he did" but had "episodes of ill mental health" from his teenage years onwards.

She said he "adored all of his siblings" and he felt "broken" by the disappearance of his half-sister, who has not been seen since 15 February 2019 despite extensive searches.

Leah Croucher went missing in February 2019

Ms Furness said that by April 2019 "there were significant changes to Haydon's mental health".

He took his own life five months later.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) has admitted 14 failings in relation Mr Croucher's care, including the failure to discuss an admission in October 2019.

"I have to give credit where it's due to the trust in the sense that all points of the breaches of care that we have highlighted to them have been admitted and they are particularly around the lack of psychiatric care beds, that the Mental Health Act wasn't exercised," said Ms Furness.

"It's around the lack of care planning, risk assessment and discharge."

She said "had it not been for the breaches" of care her son might not have taken his own life.

"I feel completely let down," she said. "But these breaches, they need to be spoken about because what I want is for Haydon to have not died in vain."

The mental health trust admitted 14 failings in care

Oakwood Solicitors, which represented Ms Furness, said Mr Croucher's "family have received the truth that they deserved.

"There is a lot to learn from the avoidable death of Haydon," they added.

CNWL said in a statement: "As Dr Stephanie Oldroyd, clinical director of mental health services at CNWL Milton Keynes, said at the inquest: 'This family has lost a great deal and we are deeply sorry for the pain they are experiencing'."

The statement added that changes made following Mr Croucher's death included expanding the team to "reduced the case load", "additional community based resources for people in crisis" and "all decisions to discharge from home treatment are made by the team not individuals".

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