Sally Mays inquest: Nurse 'angry' woman refused hospital admission

Sally Mays, 22, died at home in Hull on 25 July 2014

A nurse caring for a vulnerable woman who died after being refused hospital admission said she was "angry and upset" at her treatment by an NHS crisis team, an inquest has heard.

Sally Mays, 22, who had mental health issues, died at home in Hull in 2014.

The original 2015 inquest was quashed by the High Court in December after it emerged information had been withheld.

A coroner heard the nurse told a doctor she was upset but the conversation was not escalated to senior managers.

Giving evidence on the second day of the new inquest at Hull Coroner's Court, community psychiatry nurse Laura Elliot said the Humber NHS Foundation Trust crisis team had been "unpleasant" towards her as she sought urgent admission for Ms May before her death on 25 July.

"I was trying to advocate what needed to happen," said Ms Elliot, who was tearful.

"They [crisis team] criticised my opinion.

"I was upset about how they treated Sally."

She said she had been "crying" and was upset over the trust's assessment of Ms May, which she had mentioned in a "casual" conversation with consultant psychiatrist Dr Kwame Fofie in a car park.

"I believe I was upset and he [Dr Fofie] came over to me," she said.

"I was having this awful day... I was angry with the crisis team. Sally was frustrated and that upset me."

Parents Andy and Angela Mays campaigned for years to quash the original inquest

Ms Elliot told Senior Coroner Prof Paul Marks she didn't think it was a requirement to document the conversation, which she said was about her "personal feelings" and not clinical.

She said she was "devastated" to learn Ms May had died later that evening.

"This whole process has been distressing," said Ms Elliot.

"I've spent a lot of time berating myself wishing I'd done more."

She said she had intended to lodge a formal complaint against Patrick McKee, a member of the crisis team.

In court, Dr Fofie told the inquest Ms Elliot was "effectively off-loading" her concerns when he approached the distraught nurse.

He said he did not feel the need to "escalate" the conversation as it was not clinical and there was "no specific solution".

Details of the conversation emerged after the initial inquest in October 2015 when retired nurse Debbie Barratt had learned of it and made a note of the information.

The original inquest was quashed following a lengthy campaign by Ms Mays' parents, Andy and Angela Mays.

High Court judges later heard how, in the conversation, Dr Fofie reassured Ms Elliot saying "everything would be all right and Sally Mays would settle down or be picked up by a service".

The fresh inquest heard the 22-year-old, who had long-standing psychiatric issues and was diagnosed with severe borderline personality disorder, was turned away by the trust's crisis team on the day of her death despite a "grave concern of self-harm".

The inquest continues.