A care trust’s policy surrounding ligature risk has been highlighted during an inquest into the death of a patient at Bradford's Lynfield Mount Hospital.
A four-day hearing into the death of Miles Glynn Naylor, 33, concluded yesterday at Bradford Crown Court.
The jury inquest heard Mr Naylor, from the Clayton area of Bradford, had a mental health diagnosis and had battled with alcohol and substance misuse.
Jurors ruled his death was a result of suicide by hanging and concluded that the Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust should carry out a review of its management of ligature risk from personal items.
Coroner Oliver Longstaff said it was appropriate to make a report to the trust to prevent future deaths in its care.
In an emotional statement issued after the inquest, Mr Naylor’s family said: “Miles was an enthusiastic, intelligent man, despite his own battles in his life he achieved a great deal.
“He had ongoing issues with substance misuse, he was a self-admitted alcoholic in recovery, a battle he fought for most of his adult life.
“In January 2017, he had a breakdown, previous to this he had been sober four years. During that time he worked with many agencies to help people with substance misuse issues.”
They added: “Miles had a clear drive and determination to succeed in life.
“He dedicated his work to helping others with substance issues. A great deal of these individuals attended his funeral. When they spoke with family, they stated they themselves owe their recovery to Miles and some stated they owe their life to Miles.
“We the family felt that ultimately Miles should have been safe when we entrusted his care to the Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust.”
They said they feel the trust “let Miles down by allowing him to have the means to take his own life”. The inquest heard Mr Naylor had previously expressed thoughts of self harm and suicide and putting those thoughts into action.
His family said they were “outraged” to learn Mr Naylor died in the way he had and should not have had the item used in his possession. They said the issue needs to be “urgently addressed”.
Mr Longstaff told Mr Naylor’s family: “It’s clear to me from what you have said and what has been said about him [Mr Naylor], there’s a great deal to remember about him with pride and some joy.”
A spokesperson for the care trust said: “We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family following this tragic incident. We’d like to give our reassurances that we take issues of patient safety very seriously. In cases such as this a thorough review would always be undertaken to establish the facts and identify learning from this incident to make improvements to the service involved.”
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