Woman who choked on chip butty died by suicide - coroner
A woman from Wakefield who choked on a chip butty and died at a psychiatric hospital in Doncaster died by suicide, a coroner has ruled
Last updated 16th Feb 2024
A woman who choked on a chip butty at a psychiatric hospital in Barnsley died by suicide, an inquest has found.
Kirsty Thain, from Wakefield, suffered a cardiac arrest at Kendray Hospital in July 2020, where she was being treated.
The 36-year-old had a history of attempted chokings, and the coroner found inadequate assessment, communication and mitigation on the ward contributed to her death.
In a statement, a lawyer for Kirsty's family said: "Whilst the conclusion of the inquest will not bring Kirsty back, her family hope that the trust and staff involved will learn and changes will be implemented so this can never happen again."
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our thoughts are with Kirsty’s family and friends.
"We are very sorry that in this instance our care fell short of our usual standards and expectations.
"When Kirsty died 4 years ago we carried out a thorough and immediate investigation and identified ways to improve our care and enhance our service delivery.
"As a learning trust we continue to work to ensure the services we deliver are the best they can be.
"At our Trust, the care and safety of the people who access our services are a priority for us.
"In line with our Trust values this includes treating people with compassion and respect and putting them at the centre of the care they receive.
"Our thoughts continue to be with everyone affected.”