Daniel Venes: Hospital care 'fell far short', coroner rules

After he went missing, Daniel Venes' friends and family launched a lengthy campaign to find him

A man whose body washed up on a French beach did not receive the mental health assistance he needed, a coroner has ruled.

Daniel Venes was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hospital (QEQM) in Margate, Kent, shortly before he went missing in August 2021.

The acute and mental health teams "fell far below" the care expected, coroner Sarah Clarke said.

The QEQM's NHS trust said: "We fully accept the coroner's conclusion."

Jane Dickson, chief nurse at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, offered her "deepest condolences and sincere apologies" to Mr Venes' family.

"The safety of those we care for is our utmost priority and we accept that we did not provide the correct level of observation," she said.

Ms Dickson added that the trust had immediately carried out a review into the circumstances of Mr Venes' death and made a number of improvements.

After he went missing, it took more than five months for Mr Venes' body to be identified.

The 31-year-old musician - who had a history of mental health issues - was found distressed at a train station and taken to the QEQM on 13 August.

He left while waiting for a review by a separate mental health unit.

French police found his body on a beach near Calais two weeks later, but it was not identified until January 2022.

Recording a narrative conclusion, coroner Sarah Clarke said it was "unclear" how Mr Venes came to be in the Channel but confirmed his medical cause of death as drowning.

Daniel Venes' mother said his music and art would "live on forever"

"He wasn't on his own but at times his mental illness made him feel alone," Ms Clarke said. "This was all creating an endless cycle of episodes of acute psychosis."

She said it was likely that, had he undergone the review, he would have been admitted to hospital due to a relapse in his schizophrenic condition.

Ms Clarke said she had "no doubt" systems had improved at the hospital and its wider mental health care but there were still areas that needed improvement.

In the five months that he was missing, Mr Venes' friends and family launched a campaign to find him, sending out drones and handing out leaflets.

The family of Daniel Venes following the inquest - his grandmother Christine Smith (left), mother Shaine Venes and uncle Justin Venes

His family said Mr Venes was "unique and passionate" with a deep interest in the world around him.

His uncle, Justin Venes, said the family believed it was the right verdict with recognition of the "massive failings" in the care.

"Nobody with mental health issues should be forced to be left in a hospital for 22 hours without proper supervision or care," he said.

The family were relieved to hear some of the recommendations had since been acted on, Justin Venes added.

QEQM is planning to have safe houses attached to emergency departments especially for mental health patients in operation by the autumn.

If you have been affected by any of these issues, you can visit the BBC's Action Line, or contact the Samaritans.

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