A grieving husband has slammed the hospital that granted his wife with postpartum psychosis “one hour of unsupervised leave” after she took her own life.
Abigail Menoret, from Maidenhead, suffered from a debilitating illness following the birth of her second child in January 2022.
The 34-year-old was hospitalized under the Mental Health Act after battling postpartum depression following her two previous pregnancies.
But in September 2023, after the hospital granted her unaccompanied leave, she pre-booked a taxi to take her home (when she knew her husband and children would be away) and took her own life.
Now, following an investigation into her death, her husband, François-Marie Menoret, said he was “disappointed” by the staff treating her, arguing that he “trusted” them “to keep a close eye on her.”
Abigail Menoret, from Maidenhead, was suffering from a debilitating illness following the birth of her second child in January 2022. The 34-year-old was hospitalized under the Mental Health Act after battling postpartum depression following both of her pregnancies. previous.
Menoret, represented by Leigh Day, told the inquest that Prospect Park Hospital in Reading had allowed his wife increasing periods of unaccompanied leave.
The jury heard evidence of multiple breakdowns in communication between the trust and Ms Menoret’s family, including the difficulties posed by her illness, which often made her appear apparently well even when she was not.
Mr Menoret said: ‘I feel let down by the doctors responsible for Abi’s care.
‘The lack of consistency meant it was difficult to build relationships with staff and every time there was a change, it felt like we were starting over.
‘Each consultant had different views on what was best for Abi and what type and dose of medication she should take.
‘Ultimately, the main problem was not considering my very real concern that Abi would try to take her own life while I was in France with our children.
“I trusted her carers to keep a close eye on her, and to discover that her leave allowance, and therefore her freedom to leave hospital alone, had increased during this time, was a huge shock to me.
“I am devastated by the loss of my beautiful wife, who was a loving and devoted mother to our two children.”
Menoret, who was represented by Leigh Day, told the inquest that Prospect Park Hospital in Reading had allowed his wife increasing periods of unaccompanied leave.
This was despite his persistent delusions, risk of self-harm and recognized ongoing risk of suicide.
On the day of her death, Mrs. Menoret He had been allowed a one-hour period of unsupervised leave, an increase from the time he had previously been allowed.
Concerns had already been raised about the fact that her husband and children were visiting family in France.
The investigation also found there was a lack of continuity in their care, with frequent changes of consultants, periodic modifications to their medication and inconsistent family involvement in key decisions.
Likewise, Mr. Menoret and the police were not contacted thirty minutes after she did not return from her leave hour, a trusted guideline.
Clinical negligence solicitor Frankie Rhodes of Leigh Day said: “It is tragic that Abi died so prematurely, leaving behind her precious young children.
‘The trust’s own serious incident report, which was carried out as part of the investigation, highlighted that there is a lack of documented evidence to demonstrate that changes to licensing arrangements were discussed and considered more widely during multidisciplinary team meetings and with Abi’s husband.
‘There were failures to complete leave forms and there were gaps in check-in and check-out when leave took place.
‘Holiday-related risks were also not clearly documented as part of the risk assessment for patients.
“In light of these rulings, I am disappointed by the coroner’s decision not to allow the family representative to confidently raise questions about the central issue of what has already been implemented and what is going to be changed to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen.” happen again.
“As a result, I am concerned about the absence of a clear record of what the trust will do in the future to minimize human error in the management of its processes and avoid tragic outcomes such as that suffered by our client.”
Ms. Menoret’s family described her as “an extraordinary woman, mother, wife, daughter and friend.”
Postpartum psychosis affects approximately one in 1,000 women each year.
It’s different from the ‘baby blues’, which many mothers experience as they struggle to cope with the stress and hormonal changes that come with having children.
It is also different from postpartum depression, which affects one in 10 women to some extent.
This can lead to feelings of helplessness, as well as loss of interest in the baby and frequent crying.
Symptoms of postpartum psychosis usually begin within the first two weeks.
Common signs include manic moods, feeling paranoid or scared, acting out of character, confusion, and restlessness.
Little is known about exactly how or what triggers the disease and there is little evidence so far to suggest it may be linked to traumatic childbirth.
According to the NHS, antidepressants may be prescribed to relieve symptoms, as well as antipsychotics and mood stabilizers such as lithium.
Psychological therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can help patients control the way they think and act.
In rare cases, electroconvulsive therapy can help with severe depression or mania.
Most women with PP make a full recovery if treated correctly.