A BBC investigation has revealed that twoother young women died in the same psychiatric hospital as a mental health blogger in the two months before her death.
An inquest yesterday at South Manchester Coroner’s Court ruled that Beth Matthews, 26, a mental health blogger, was failed by the Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal near Stockport.
She took her own life in March last year by swallowing a poisonous substance she bought online from Russia.
Now the BBC has discovered that Lauren Bridges and Deseree Fitzpatrick also died there.
Lauren Bridges, 20, died on a secure ward at the same hospital in February last year and Deseree Fitzpatrick, 30, died a month earlier after being admitted to the hospital.
The inquest heard that, three weeks before her death, Ms Matthews had told a nurse “there are things you can purchase to do the job”.
The jury also heard that Matthews had frequently accessed a website discussing suicide.
On the day she died she was being supervised by two members of staff the jury were told but she was able to get the top off a small plastic container and, despite being restrained, was able to swallow a quantity of powder inside.
The jury’s foreman said the hospital had provided “inadequate care of a highly vulnerable patient” and the jury concluded she died from suicide contributed to by neglect.
An inquest into Bridges’s death is due to take place next month while the inquest into the death of Fitzpatrick found that she died after being given inappropriate medication which caused her to choke
A Priory hospital statement said: “We apologise unreservedly for the shortcomings in the care of Deseree Fitzpatrick and Beth Matthews last year.” It added: “We are unable to comment on a further death at Cheadle Royal Hospital until the inquest concludes later this year.”
