Two other young women died at the Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal within weeks of blogger Beth Matthews. Lauren Bridges and Deseree Fitzpatrick also died at the psychiatric hospital last year. There is no suggestion the three cases are linked.
Beth Matthews, 26, originally from Cornwall, was a blogger with a 'massive' online following. An inquest concluded that neglect by staff at the hospital contributed to her death by suicide. She died on March 21, 2022 after ingesting a poisonous substance she ordered online from Russia.
She had collapsed in front of staff members at the hospital, where she was a patient after being detained under the Mental Health Act. She had told them it was protein powder.
Just weeks before, on January 23, Deseree Fitzpatrick, another patient to the Royal Cheadle Hospital, died after being found unresponsive in her room. She had been admitted as just days before due to risks of self-harm and for alcohol detoxification.
The 30-year-old had been living in sheltered accommodation after being the victim of domestic violence and was diagnosed with Emotional Unstable Personal Disorder (EUPD). Deseree was taking a number of medications from her GP, but was then prescribed a number of additional drugs, the majority of which had a central nervous depressant effect.
The five-day inquest before HM Coroner Andrew Bridgeman found she had choked in her sleep after being given inappropriate medication which had caused 'significant sedation'. The coroner said there was insufficient consideration of 'polypharmacy' and that the medication regime was inappropriate.
The inquest also heard there were missed opportunities for a review of that regime and that she was given so much medication that it resulted in profound sedation and the loss of her gag reflex.
A spokesperson for the Priory apologised following Deseree's death.
A month later, on February 24, Lauren Bridges also died. She was a patient on a secure ward. An inquest into the death of the 20-year-old, who had been diagnosed with a form of autism, is set to take place next month.
Her mum Lindsey paid tribute to her 'beautiful and brave' daughter, who she claimed took her own life, the Mirror reports.
A spokesperson for the hospital said: “We want to extend our deepest condolences to Beth’s family and friends for their loss. Beth’s attempts to overcome her mental health challenges had been an inspiration for many. Although unexpected deaths are extremely rare, we recognise that every loss of life in our care is a tragedy.
"We fully accept the jury’s findings and acknowledge that far greater attention should have been given to Beth’s care plan. At the time of Beth’s unexpected death, we took immediate steps to address the issues around how we document risk and communicate patients’ care plans, alongside our processes for receiving and opening post. Patient safety is our utmost priority and we will now review the Coroner’s comments in detail and make all necessary, additional changes to our policies and procedures.”
Read our previous reports from the Beth Matthew's inquest:
