Berkshire NHS trust to pay £925k after man's substandard care
- Published
The compensation was agreed at the High Court
The family of a man who took his own life after suffering mental health problems will receive compensation from a trust that gave him substandard care.
Adam Ludlow, 37, from Tilehurst, Berkshire, was a married father of two when he died in September 2017.
His family was awarded £925,000 from Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust at the High Court.
The trust accepted it was likely if Mr Ludlow got the care he was "entitled to expect", he would not have died.
It said it has made improvements to the way it deals with patients.
In a statement, solicitors who acted for Mr Ludlow's family said the trust had been asked to help "on numerous occasions".
They added: "There was a lack of cohesion in [Mr Ludlow's] care, no definitive treatment plan put in place, and the severity of his condition was not appreciated, despite ample evidence being brought to the trust's attention."
Judge Dexter Dias KC said it was clear Mr Ludlow was a "much-loved son, husband and father".
He said while the court appreciated that "no amount of money can turn back the clock", awarding compensation was "simply the best we can do".
Kerry Blomerus, from Enable Law, who represented Mr Ludlow's family, said it was "incredibly sad" that changes were enacted only after his death.
"Hopefully the changes that have been brought in as a response to the tragic circumstances of Adam's death will result in better standards of mental health care and prevent another family having to suffer the loss that Adam's family have," she said.
A Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust spokesperson said: "We would like to extend our sincere condolences to Mr Ludlow's family who we recognise must have been through a very difficult time as a result of his tragic death.
"We are sorry that the treatment of Mr Ludlow fell below the expected standard of care and have since introduced improvements to our systems to help prevent anything similar happening again."
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