Mon, 10 Nov 2014
A grieving partner has called for a review of psychiatric care at the North Devon District Hospital after his partner was discovered hanging in her bedroom after spending two weeks at Barnstaple’s Ocean View facility in February 2011.
Simon Banks claims staff at the facility failed to take simple steps that could have prevented her death and has taken legal action, with which Richard Grimshaw is assisting, in a bid to bring changes to the way similar cases are handled in the future.
The inquest, at which Mr Grimshaw represented Mr Banks, highlighted that Ms Jobe struggled with mental illness at points throughout her life and was admitted to the facility following an attempted overdose. Her mental health failed to improve and friends and relatives became concerned when, during a trip home a few days before she died, she repeatedly spoke of her wish to take her own life. Mr Banks shared these concerns with the hospital but claims that they were not sufficiently acted upon by the staff and additional safety measures were not put in place.
“The warning signs could not have been clearer. Elaine was desperately suicidal. I raised my concerns repeatedly with staff at Ocean View but I don’t think they understood just how serious things were,” said Mr Banks.
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