Introduction to the Incident
A woman who took her own life on a psychiatric ward was threatened and bullied by staff, her family has told a public inquiry. Iris Scott, 73, was a patient at the Crystal Center in Chelmsford, run by a mental health provider, when she died in her bathroom there on March 1, 2014.
Background of the Case
Her children have given evidence at the inquiry, which is investigating more than 2,000 deaths in NHS inpatient facilities in Essex between 2000 and 2023. They told the inquest they had “serious safety concerns” about their treatment. The mental health provider said it would “build on the improvements already made over the last 24 years.”
Family’s Concerns and Experiences
At one point, her mother told them that a staff member threatened to leave the lights on so she couldn’t sleep if she didn’t "stop complaining" and another deliberately blocked her path in the hallways. Ms Scott initially agreed to a three-week "quick" hospital stay in August 2013 after suffering from "uncontrollable anxiety", her children said. However, her condition worsened during the six months on the ward and her family told the inquest what they viewed as "lapses" in her care plan, staff treatment, ward and risk management, which they said contributed to her death.
Specific Incidents of Neglect and Abuse
Her son said there was “no accountability.” When her daughter raised concerns about her mother, the station manager said she was "a paranoid daughter." The daughter said that when she raised concerns that her mother had expressed she wanted to end her life in November 2013, the ward manager was dismissive. The ward manager even went so far as to say that if the daughter didn’t calm down, she would end up in the ward too.
Attempts at Intervention and Their Outcomes
Because of the ongoing problems, the daughter and her mother began keeping diaries of incidents and interactions with staff, which she said reflected her mother’s anxiety. On January 14, 2014, Ms. Scott attempted to take her own life, resulting in “significant” bruising to her face, her children said. Her family was not informed and learned that she had fallen when she questioned staff about her injuries. The staff told her she was "attention-seeking" when she confided that she had tried to take her own life.
Events Leading to the Tragic Outcome
Despite being placed on a higher level of observation and searching her room, her daughter found items for a ligature in her closet, which she said raised further concerns among the family about the competency of the staff. In response to the suicide attempt, the station manager told her she had "overstepped boundaries" and "gone too far," according to her family. The daughter said her mother was "blackmailed" by staff who threatened to "reveal something about her" if she did not change her story about the events of January 14.
Conclusion and Aftermath
Ms Scott’s powers of observation were reduced by the end of February and she died on March 1 after being ligated in her bathroom on the ward. When asked what she thought should have been done differently regarding her mother’s care, the daughter replied "everything". The family added they hoped any recommendations for change would be thoroughly reviewed to ensure they were followed. The chief executive of the Mental Health Trust expressed condolences to Iris’ family and loved ones and acknowledged the need for improvements in care and treatment.
