Wellington man's death was 'cry for help', inquest hears
A man’s death just weeks after he was discharged from a mental health centre was a “cry for help”, an inquest into his death has heard.
Andrew Pugh, 35, was found dead by police in his Wellington home on May 5 after taking an overdose of an antipsychotic prescription drug. Speaking at his inquest at Telford & Wrekin Registrar Office yesterday, his family said it was not an attempt at his life, but merely a cry for help to support services.
Mr Pugh, known as Andy by his friends and family, had a history of mental health problems and was discharged from The Redwood Centre, in Shrewsbury, on April 23 after being deemed to have appropriate accommodation and medically fit to return home.
But he expressed concern about moving back to his one-bedroom flat as it was in close proximity to drug dealers. Social workers and housing officers were in the process of helping him move to his preferred accommodation at Orchard House, the court was told.
Senior Coroner John Ellery, leading the hearing, agreed his death was not intentional and said it was difficult to deal with a patient wanting to be housed in one place when it conflicts with medical advice.
He said: “How do you deal with somebody who wants to be somewhere else, when clearly in the long term it’s deemed best for them to be in the community?”
Jenny Ball, who conducts case reviews on people who die within six months of leaving the centre as the head of incident investigations for the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said the decision to release Mr Pugh had made after reviewing how patients could be better supported in the community.
Mr Ellery recorded a conclusion of misadventure.
