Sarah Walsh: Was allowed out unsupervised when she bought a knife

A depressed mother bought a knife and stabbed herself to death while under the 'supervision' of a psychiatric care home.

Sarah Walsh was suffering from severe post-natal depression when she plunged the knife through her heart.

Despite serious concerns about her suicidal state of mind, nurses at the care home failed to accompany her on a trip out where she was able to buy the blade.

Yesterday it emerged that her family is considering suing Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust after a coroner ruled that negligence by the trust contributed to her death.

An inquest heard that Miss Walsh, 39, was admitted as a voluntary in-patient to Sandalwood Court psychiatric home in Swindon in January last year.

She had been suffering with postnatal depression for eight years  -  since the birth of her first son in 2000 and following the birth of her second in 2004.

At the time of Miss Walsh's admittance, her mother Susan West told a nurse that she was worried her daughter wanted to buy a knife and kill herself.

But the next day a care assistant allowed her to go on a shopping trip unsupervised. Miss Walsh then bought a knife and booked herself into a hotel, where she was discovered the following day having stabbed herself in the heart.

The hearing was told how a nurse was disciplined for gross negligence after an internal investigation and that no care plans for treatment had been drawn up until two days after Miss Walsh died.

The trust had also previously been named and shamed in an official report by the Healthcare Commission, which gave it a 'weak' rating, one of the lowest rankings available.

Yesterday family solicitor Ellen Parry said Miss Walsh's death had been a 'painful and traumatic experience' and the family are now ' considering their options' in terms of legal action.

She added: 'The family wants to ensure that no other family has to endure the heartache of such a tragic loss of a beloved wife, mother and daughter. The family hopes the trust will learn hard lessons from this event.'

A spokesman for the care trust admitted 'aspects' of its service was sub-standard, adding: ' Regrettably aspects of the care provided to Sarah fell below the standards we expect from our staff. We have apologised to the family.'