Lauren Bridges 'begged' mother to leave hospital, inquest told

Lauren Bridges was "left alone, far from home with no treatment", her mother said

A 20-year-old mental health patient begged her mother to get her out of a psychiatric hospital in the days before she died, an inquest heard.

Lauren Bridges, from Bournemouth, died while being treated at the privately-run Priory Cheadle Royal, near Stockport, in February 2022.

Being moved 250 miles (400 km) from her home left her "traumatised", her mum Lindsey Bridges said.

The 44-year-old described Lauren as a "beautiful, brave" young woman.

Lauren Bridges with her grandparents William and Elizabeth Bridges

Giving evidence at the four-week inquest, Ms Bridges told Stockport Coroner's Court her daughter was first transferred to the Cheadle Royal in July 2021, with just one hour's notice.

The move meant the Bridges family faced an estimated six-hour round trip to see Lauren.

Ms Bridges said this move left her daughter "distressed and traumatised" and her mental health "deteriorated rapidly".

She added: "It broke her and our family."

Lauren Bridges, 20, died at the Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal four weeks before Beth Matthews

Ms Bridges described the Cheadle Royal as "noisy and disruptive" and "not the therapeutic environment" Lauren needed.

She said the family had "significant concerns" about standards of care, especially about the agency staff working at night.

They showed, she claimed, "a lack of compassion" and were "consistently poor".

The court heard Lauren's condition initially improved and in September 2021 the family was told she could be transferred to another unit.

But five months later she had not been moved and was becoming "increasingly distressed by the delay".

In the days before her death, the court heard Lauren made a number of distressed phone calls to her mother.

Ms Bridges said she was "screaming hysterically, begging me to get her out".

Her daughter was found unresponsive in a bathroom on 24 February 2022 and died two days later in hospital.

The 20-year-old begged to be let out of hospital two days before she died

The inquest heard despite being a "straight A student", Lauren had struggled socially at school and was later assessed as being autistic.

Her younger brother Alfie died of a rare genetic illness and this had a "profound impact" on her.

She first received mental health support at the age of 15 and voluntarily became an inpatient at 17.

From 2018 to 2022 she was treated in a series of different hospitals, including a number of facilities "out of area" from her home in Bournemouth.

Paying tribute to her daughter, Lindsey Bridges described her as the "kindest, most caring, most considerate human being".

The inquest continues.