THE coroner dealing with an inquest into the death of a 72-year-old Limerick woman has recommended to the HSE that they take account of concerns expressed by family members of voluntary psychiatric patients.
Coroner John McNamara made his comments after hearing how the woman’s body was recovered from the River Shannon a number of hours after she left St Patrick’s Hospital in Dublin last March.
The woman, who had been taking medication for anxiety and depression for almost 40 years, was looking to come off her tablets and had spent a week at St. Patrick’s, her daughter told the Coroner’s Court in Limerick last week.
On March 4, the woman had her breakfast at St Patrick’s Hospital but left shortly after 9:45am and took a train to Limerick.
Her daughter told Mr McNamara that she was periodically phoning the hospital from 10am that morning to speak with doctors regarding her mother’s treatment, but nobody told her that her mother was unaccounted for.
It was not until after 3pm that the family were notified by staff at St Patrick’s that their mother was missing.This came to light when staff were reviewing CCTV footage.
The court was told that the woman took a train to Limerick and went to her home on the Northside of the city.
After her body was recovered from the River Shannon, friends and relatives told gardai that she had “picked out a spot on the river”.
A post mortem examination carried out by Dr Peter Fawl found that death was due to cardio respiratory failure secondary to drowning.
Mr McNamara said that the court recognised the presumption in law against verdicts of suicide, adding that “we have to be convinced beyond reasonable doubt for such a verdict.
“I am aware of the psychiatric history and presence of medication in her body, but at all were at prescribed levels.
“The court also notes the comment made by the woman in relation to the river but there was no accompany note or indications of intent, therefore an open verdict is appropriate”, he said.
Concerned about “walking on eggshells”, Mr McNamara said he would make a “recommendation to the HSE that the concerns of family members should be taken on board when dealing with voluntary patients and that all telephone calls from families should be promptly returned.
“There are elements of a systems failure here for this woman”, he said.
