Staff wanted better environment for woman who took life on mental health ward
Carla Heaton died on Applewood Ward in November 2022
A hearing into the death of a 22-year-old woman who took her own life on a mental health ward in Wiltshire has heard that staff wanted to move her to a more appropriate environment for her recovery.
Carla Heaton was found unresponsive on 21st November 2022 on Applewood Ward at Sandalwood Court hospital.
An inquest jury at Wiltshire & Swindon Coroners Court in Salisbury was told that Carla's mum and staff felt she needed a quieter space to recover from a mental health crisis and the tics she'd developed.
The court also heard that some staff felt Carla's treatment should continue at a facility specialising in support for neurodivergence, as some suspected Carla had undiagnosed ADHD.
However, this wasn't shared by all staff, as Dr Shalini Kurup, a Consultant Psychiatrist with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, said during her evidence on Tuesday that she did not believe Carla had ADHD.
It was revealed during Tuesday's evidence that no assessment for ADHD had been carried out due to the mental health crisis Carla was experiencing.
The court heard that Carla had been finding the environment on Applewood Ward challenging, with the noisy setting sometimes triggering her tics, which included using inappropriate remarks and could be physically harmful. She'd told staff that the tics made her feel ashamed of herself because of what they would make her say.
Staff considered that the environment at the ward was stressful and making the tics worse. The inquest heard that Carla had told staff she needed distractions whilst on the ward, due to its noisy environment.
Detainment a "legal" way to keep Carla on the ward
Carla had expressed a desire to leave Applewood ward, having voluntarily admitted herself to the hospital to begin with, but had prepared a Will and Testament, along with letters to family members.
Days before her death, she absconded whilst on a trip and was returned to the ward by police, before being detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act.
It was considered continued Section 3 detainment was required, as she would be homeless if allowed to leave Applewood Ward. The detainment was considered a legal way of preventing Carla leaving the ward, as well as the risk to her health being considered high, should she be permitted to leave.
Dr Kurup told the court that Carla had shown a willingness to work with staff and get better and there was hope that with improved mental health, she would be able to control the tics.
However, her mental state deteriorated, which her mum raised concerns about three days before Carla died.
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust says it won't comment during ongoing proceedings.
The inquest continues.