Being 'so far away from home' was an 'ongoing stress' for young woman with Autism who died after being found unconscious at psychiatric hospital, inquest jury hears

A 'kind and caring' young woman, who died after being found unconscious on a psychiatric ward almost 300 miles away from her, family told a healthcare worker three months before her death how much she wanted to return closer to home, an inquest has heard.

Lauren Bridges was found unresponsive in an en-suite bathroom at the Priory's Cheadle Royal Hospital, where she was being detained under the mental health act, on February 24 last year.

She was taken to Wythenshawe hospital where she was placed on life support, however, the decision was taken to withdraw it once her organs had been donated and she died on February 26.

READ MORE: 'Beautiful' woman, 20, who died 300 miles from home was 'failed by the system', her grieving mum says

The inquest has been told Lauren, who had a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), as well as Autism, had been transferred to a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the privately-run Stockport hospital in July 2021, despite strong objections from her family.

At the second day of a hearing at Stockport Coroner's Court today (Tuesday), the jury were told the 20-year-old from Bournemouth had been moved there from a locked rehabilitation unit at the Priory's Dorking hospital as the staff there 'couldn't manage' her and due to the 'risk' as 'there was increasing self-harm.'

However, a health professional tasked with monitoring her during her placement said there was a 'significant change' in her demeanor in the eight weeks between her visits to see at the Priory in Cheadle in September, and November 2021 and that she felt she was becoming 'trapped in a cycle.'

Occupational therapist Kira Harvey, who had to visit her every eight weeks on behalf of her local Clinical