'Multiple failures by staff' identified by jury following inquest into death of man at mental health unit

'Multiple failures by staff' have been identified by a jury following an inquest into the death of a man at a mental health unit. Lee Doherty, 46, died on July 15, 2022 at Prospect Place, run by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Mr Doherty, from Manchester, was being cared for at the 'low-risk', secure mental health unit having been detained under the Mental Health Act.

He had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. His risk of self-harm was judged as being 'medium', an inquest into his death at Rochdale Coroners' Court heard. Mr Doherty was known to pick at a leg wound.

He was found bleeding in his room the day he died. Mr Doherty died of cardio-respiratory arrest, aggravated by ischaemic heart disease and haemorrhage, jurors concluded. He had underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, they added.

Jurors concluded he died having picked at his wound with plastic cutlery. A conclusion of misadventure was recorded. Jurors found staff failed to respond adequately after Mr Doherty was found bleeding, but said the 'evidence did not indicate that earlier intervention could have prevented [his] death'.

The inquest previously heard Mr Doherty was on 15-minute observations. Jurors concluded there were instances of staff failing to carry out the checks, but recording them as being completed.

CCTV, the inquest heard, showed a nursing assistant using her phone on the ward - which was prohibited - when checks should have been done.

The inquest - in front of senior coroner Joanne Kearsley - heard there were no major arteries severed around Mr Doherty's leg wound. The fact he picked the wound was identified by staff as a risk, jurors said. But they concluded 'there was no complete and appropriate risk assessments, and