A WOMAN died at St Cadoc’s Hospital in Caerleon days after twice attempting to take her own life, an inquest heard.

Sarah Price died aged 23 on February 2, 2016.

Miss Price, of Bryngwyn Road, was being treated at St Cadoc’s after being admitted to the hospital for attempting to take her own life in a supported living building.

READ MORE:

There, she made multiple attempts to abscond from the hospital, as well as attempting to take her own life – both inside the hospital and when she had absconded.

Dr Nahla Jamil, a consultant psychiatrist with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, told Newport Coroners’ Court that on February 2, Miss Price’s observation level was reduced from level three – the highest level requiring constant observation – to level two – where check-ins were required every 15 minutes.

Miss Price had tried to take her own life on January 26 and January 29.

“She was better,” Dr Jamil said. “I thought the risk on that day had reduced somewhat.”

Dr Jamil added the decision to lower Miss Price’s observation level was made by a team of staff at the hospital.

“The context is important for patients who have emotionally unstable personality disorder,” she said. “These thoughts have been there a long time. It’s not about getting rid of them, it’s about how they manage them.

“In my mind, the risk was with Sarah absconding.

“I just thought we could manage the risk of absconding.”

Kirsten Heaven, representing Miss Price’s family, said to Dr Jamil that Miss Price taking her own life “was a blatantly obvious risk that should’ve been on your mind.”

Tom Leeper, representing Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, read Miss Price’s medical notes for the weeks leading up to her death – where she appeared to also be engaging with staff and her treatments.

“What you had in the run up to February 2 was a mixed pack,” he said. “There was evidence of her responding positively to the treatments.”

Dr Jamil told the court that, on February 1, she had discussed with Miss Price moving her to a low secure unit in Sussex.

“I was thinking where else could I go,” said Dr Jamil. “When you get to the end of the plan and somebody is not responding, what can you do?”

Dr Jamil added that discussing with Miss Price moving her to Sussex was intended to “motivate” her into engaging with the treatment at St Cadoc’s.

“She was scared to be away from her family,” said Rachel Price, Miss Price’s mother. “She was well-supported by her family. She knew I didn’t drive so it would be difficult for me to see her.”

Mrs Price told the court that her daughter was diagnosed with a “development delay” when she was 10, and also ADHD.

“Everything she was told, she would believe,” said Mrs Price. “It was literal.

“She was afraid of being told she was schizophrenic. She called [the voices in her head] her thoughts.

“She said to me that they were telling her to kill herself and if she didn’t, we would die.

“She said she was doing it as she didn’t want anything to happen to me or her dad or her brothers or her twin sister.”

A statement from Dr Rashid, a consultant pathologist, recommended that Miss Price’s medical cause of death was recorded as: 1A: asphyxiation; 1B: Carbon dioxide poisoning; 1C: Breathing in to a restricted space; and 2: Cerebral Palsy and depression.

The inquest continues.