Carol Vaughan inquest: Daughter of mental health patient says mother's death was preventable

The daughter of a woman who absconded from a secure mental health unit and was found dead in a reservoir says her mother's death was preventable.

Mrs Carol Vaughan, from Sutton-on-Trent, was a patient at Millbrook in Sutton-in-Ashfield when she disappeared after going out for a cigarette.

Mrs Vaughan was found by her daughter, Karen Green, who went searching for her in a nearby reservoir and later died.

After the inquest, Karen Green said: "I do feel like her death was preventable.

"I felt that I wasn't listened to by staff at Millbrook, but if they had listened I think her death could have been prevented.

"Staff let me down by not communicating enough with the family or the social services.

"I felt that people didn't take me seriously when I voiced my concerns and that they weren't believing what I was saying."

She said she also felt let down when it emerged that staff reduced her mum's observation levels the day before she died, a decision which was described by her barrister Mr Malcolm Duthie as "inappropriate."

"Thankfully my own experiences of working in the care sector helped me identify that something was wrong, and that's what's helped me keep going when I was asking for answers," Karen Green said.

"I had a gut feeling something wasn't right the first time I went to the unit."

Nottinghamshire Coroner Mairin Casey recorded a narrative verdict into the death of 61-year-old Mrs Vaughan.

Mrs Vaughan died of heart failure caused by hypothermia in January last year.

Miss Casey found several areas of failure in Mrs Vaughan's care by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, who manage Millbrook.

Miss Casey said: "Throughout the period of Carol Vaughan's hospitalisation at Millbrook there was no proper appreciation of the role of the family."

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust released a statement this afternoon.

"Nottinghamshire Healthcare would like to offer its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mrs Carol Vaughan.

"The Trust has undertaken a thorough internal investigation to review the care and support provided to Mrs Vaughan. A comprehensive action plan was developed following the investigation; the actions were taken very seriously and there have been significant changes made as a result.

"This will be of small comfort to Mrs Vaughan’s family but will improve services for the future. We welcome the further recommendations by the coroner in relation to gaps identified in the care and treatment provided to Mrs Vaughan for which we apologise.

"Once again we offer our sympathies to the family and friends of Mrs Carol Vaughan."