Young anorexia patient dies in Coventry hospital after 'failings' in her care

The 25-year-old had been sent more than 100 miles away from her family and segregated for weeks on end



A young woman with anorexia died in a Coventry hospital after failings left her alone for long spells and her mental state declined, an inquest has heard.

Claire Greaves was moved from a hospital near her home in Wales to Cygnet Hospital, in Hillfields, in May 2017, but her health continued to deteriorate.

And in February 2018 she took her own life. She was 25 years old.

An inquest into her death found a catalogue of failings in her care when she was a patient at Cygnet Hospital where she was segregated from her family for weeks on end.

She had been placed there by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board who said it was the only available hospital that could manage Claire's anorexia and personality disorder.

An inquest jury found that:

• Claire's mental state declined following long-term segregation and seclusion
  
  
• Staffing levels at the hospital "probably caused or contributed" to her death
  
  
• There was a failure to increase observations despite Claire making numerous self-harm attempts in the days prior to her death
  
  
• Claire's care plan could have been followed had there been sufficient staff on duty
  
  
• There was a failure in allowing Claire to be alone in her room prior to her death, contrary to her care plan.

Several years ago...

During a University course we had an NHS executive as a guest speaker. She advocated that the use of resources were the most important thing and that separation from family and friends was a minor consideration. As a 'mature' student, I argued with her at length, as did a couple of other 'mature' students. The consensus was that we were old fuddy-duddies and out of date with our thinking!

Somehow, I think not!