Sophie Walker was instructed by Gus Silverman of Deignton Pierce Glynn in the inquest touching on the death of Johnny Doughty who took his own life at home whilst under the care of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

A Mental Health Act assessment was put on hold due to a lack of inpatient beds. Psychiatrists decided that Johnny shouldn’t be told about the planned assessment due to the risk he posed to himself; however, over the two days prior to his death a mental health nurse repeatedly told him he would be ‘sectioned’ and then failed to escalate the request for an bed despite being aware of a significant deterioration in Johnny’s condition.

The Coroner found Johnny’s death was contributed to by neglect. He also issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report to the Secretary of State for Health and the Trust Chief Executive highlighting the risk of future deaths arising from the inadequate availability of inpatient psychiatric beds.

Sophie Walker was instructed by Gus Silverman of Deignton Pierce Glynn.