Family of Hereford woman who took her own life calling for better maternity bereavement care
32-year-old Kath Brace died on the 9th October 2022.
Last updated 24th Apr 2024
The family of a Hereford woman, who took her own life after being granted leave from a psychiatric hospital, are calling for better maternity bereavement care.
32-year-old Kath Brace was found dead on the 9th October 2022, nine hours after being granted leave from the Mortimer Ward of the Stonebow Unit in Hereford.
It was the third time she had been admitted, and the second time she had been sectioned following the death of her son Otis seven months earlier.
Her family say they had tried several times to raise concerns about her care and risk assessment but felt they were not listened to.
Ms Brace was detained on the Mortimer Ward on 17th June 2022, following an overdose attempt, and had previously spent nearly four weeks in hospital in May.
On the 15th September she was detained for a second time, before being granted unescorted leave on the 24th September where she again tried to take her own life.
Her fiancée took her back to the hospital after she was granted leave on the 6th October, and she told staff she was heading into Hereford to buy a coffee on the 9th October.
She didn't return for her scheduled visit from her mother Angie leading to the police being called, and she was found dead nine hours later.
An inquest into Kath's death found that aspects of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust’s risk assessment and management policy were not applied in Kath’s care.
After the hearing, Ms Brace's mother said: "It’s almost impossible to find the words to describe what the last year or so and coming to terms with what happened has been like.
"Each time she went into hospital we hoped that she would receive the care and support she needed, but each time we tried to raise any concerns with the Hospital Trust we felt like we weren’t really listened.
"We felt shut out and not involved in the process of trying to get her the help she needed, and all we can hope for now is that by speaking out we can improve care for others."
In a statement, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust said: "Our deepest condolences go out to Kath’s family and loved ones.
"We fully accept the findings of the inquest and have conducted a full review in order to find out what has happened and if we can make changes to prevent deaths in the future."