An inquest has heard how an "amazing and devoted" dad-of-three heartbreakingly took his own life after suffering from mental health issues. Andrew Cooper, who has been described as a kind-natured gentleman with a wonderful sense of humour, died on March 2 last year.
His wife Abigal told an inquest into his death: "Andy was the most amazing dad. His children were his whole life and meant the world to him. Andy and I were childhood sweethearts and best friends.
"He supported everything I did and always put me first. He was very close to his family, he worked alongside them in the family business and Andy and his brother were best friends."
Andrew was a contracts manager for family business Ultimate Windows, and was previously a surveyor, Teesside Live reports
He spoke with his GP about his mental health towards the end of 2021. After self-referring for further support, Andy had an assessment appointment set for December 22. Assistant coroner Karin Welsh heard how he and Abigail had separated, but remained living in the same home with their three children.
But just over a week prior to his appointment, he was assessed by Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust at Roseberry Park Hospital, a mental health hospital in Middlesbrough. It followed an incident at his home where police were called due to concerns for his welfare on December 13. Andy was further assessed through the intensive home treatment team.
Steven Atkinson, a community psychiatric nurse at TEWV, said: "I met him on our final day of involvement. It was noted throughout our involvement there had been improvement. There had been a medication review, he was sleeping better and his appetite had improved."
Concerns were raised at the time regarding a decision to discharge Andrew on December 27, just a day before a wedding Abigail was due to attend, which she worried could cause Andy some distress. But Mr Atkinson says having spoken to Andy he didn't feel as though there were any concerns.
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The next day, Abigail called the intensive home treatment team about a series of messages she had received from Andy. But the trust could find no record of the calls when a serious incident investigation into his care was carried out.
While the trust's report found no significant failings, it did highlight a number of lessons learned from the care Andrew received. These include how neither Andrew nor his family were given a written version of his care plan; confusion around the different parts of the service; long waiting times for access to further non TEWV-operated services and how the minimum standard for record keeping had not been adhered to - in relation to the undocumented calls.
Giving evidence, Jane O'Neil, a mental health nurse who was the service manager for the crisis team at the time, outlined a number of actions taken as a result of the report including a new leaflet explaining the Tees service as well as a new quality assurance policy to look at issues such as ensuring written care plans are handed out. She also said going forward the trust could also look to record phone conversations.
Abigail added: "Everyone had a nice word to say about Andy. He was so kind-hearted and would do anything for anybody. He had an extremely close group of friends who he had grown up with.
"Andy was a gentleman with a kind nature and a fabulous sense of humour. He loved football - supported Middlesbrough Football Club - and enjoyed watching and playing darts.
"He is missed so much by everyone and our lives have not and will never be the same without him."
Andrew had previously spoken to his GP about dealing with low moods in 2015, 2016 and 2018. Speaking at the inquest, Abigail, who is mum to Andy's three children Isaac, Madeline and Evan, said the pair had reconciled in the new year and were trying to make their relationship work. She described how the loving dad had cared for her when she fell ill with covid and it felt as though they were getting the "old Andy back".
But following an out-of-character incident, Andy texted Abigail, who was unavailable due to a work commitment, about wanting to "free her". She didn't see the message until some time later. Tragically, Andy had taken his own life.
Karin Welsh said there is no causal link between Andy's death and the care he received from TEWV. She concluded that Andy, ofBillingham, died from suicide.
Abigail told Teesside Live: "Andrew is always and will always be missed. Throughout this devastating year we have had lots of support from friends and family but are hugely thankful to The Headlight Project for all the work they do."
She added that she hope the actions that the trust have put in place will help other families.
Patrick Scott, managing director of the Durham, Tees Valley and Forensics care group at the trust, said: “Our thoughts are with Andrew’s family during this difficult time. We completed a review of Andrew’s care and treatment to understand and address areas where we could improve. While the learning we found did not contribute to Andrew’s death, we will continue to improve our services to make sure we are providing the best possible care to the people we support.”
Mental Health support and services
Helplines and support groups
The following are helplines and support networks for people to talk to, mostly listed on the NHS Choices website
- Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
- Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.
- PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
- Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
- Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
- Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.
- Hub of Hope is the UK’s most comprehensive national mental health support database. Download the free app, visit hubofhope.co.uk or text HOPE to 85258 to find relevant services near you.
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