Mental health trust failings contributed to Norfolk man’s death, coroner finds

The family of Christopher Sidle, a former government climate change adviser, have called his death ‘entirely avoidable’. Photograph: Ashtons Legal LLP

A series of failings by a troubled NHS mental health trust contributed to the death of a former government climate change adviser, a coroner has found.

Christopher Sidle, 51, who had a history of psychosis, fatally self-harmed on 1 July last year during a psychotic episode two days after being refused a crisis admission by Norfolk and Suffolk foundation trust (NSFT) despite warnings from his family and a trust psychiatrist, Norfolk coroner’s court heard.