Mina Topley-Bird: Singer's death prompts concerns over mental health unit

Mina Topley-Bird had had "fought valiantly" against mental illness, the coroner said

A coroner will write to hospital bosses about concerns raised by the death of a singer who was found hanged while in the care of a mental health trust.

Mina Topley-Bird died at Darlington's West Park Hospital in 2019.

The 24-year-old was admitted after suffering a psychotic episode on a train after a concert with her band.

Coroner James Thompson said there was a failure to appreciate she was at increased risk, or act on it, after she made a comment about suicide.

The three-day hearing, at Durham Miners' Hall was told how the daughter of musicians Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird had felt a gig in Newcastle on 5 May 2019 had gone badly.

She became agitated on a train journey home to London and got off at Darlington, before being taken to the secure Elm Ward at West Park Hospital for treatment.

On 8 May, an hour before she was found dead, Ms Topley-Bird became frustrated at not being able to be transferred to a hospital in London and said "I might as well kill myself", which was thought to be a flippant comment.

'Impulsive behaviour'

However, jurors found there had been a failure to appreciate she was at increased risk and adequate precautions were not taken.

In addition, the absence of her medical records at the unit meant staff were unaware of her impulsive behaviour.

In a narrative verdict, Mr Thompson said he would write to the chief executive of the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Hospitals Trust, which runs West Park, to raise a number of issues.

These include concerns that a survey of the ward to reduce the risk of patients self-harming was not completed and queries about how medical notes are shared between trusts.

He would also write to the Health Secretary about formalising how mental health patients are transferred between hospitals and described the current arrangements as ad hoc.

He paid tribute to the singer-songwriter as a "talented young woman" and who had "fought valiantly" against her mental illness.