Woman's death at Rochford mental health unit 'misadventure' - jury

Sophie Alderman was 27 years old when she died at Rochford Hospital in August 2022

A woman's death on a hospital mental health ward was as a result of misadventure, an inquest jury has concluded.

Sophie Alderman, 27, died in her room on the Willow Ward at Rochford Hospital, Essex, on 19 August 2022.

The jury reached its conclusion following a seven-day hearing.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), which runs the hospital, expressed its condolences and said it was committed to improving.

Ms Alderman was "a wonderful, loving person who is greatly missed," according to her family's legal representatives.

Paul Scott, chief executive at the trust, said: "My deepest condolences remain with Sophie's family, friends and loved ones following their tragic loss.

"EPUT provides services to more than 100,000 patients at any one time and our staff are focused on providing high quality care in often complex situations.

"We are committed to driving improvement across all our services so that we deliver the best possible care at all times"

A public inquiry into the deaths of Essex mental health patients began in November but has yet to hear any evidence.