Student took her own life after authorities refused to share her records due to ‘data protection’, inquest hears

A student took her own life after doctors failed to check her medical history before discharging her and her former university refused to share her records, an inquest heard.

Hannah Webster, 20, a finance and banking student at the University of Essex, committed suicide just three days after doctors released her from hospital.

Her mother Deborah said that she had been let down. “In my opinion, they have failed her. They had a duty of care and they failed that,” she said. “We want to know why she wasn’t sectioned or detained.”

She added: “She was just beautiful, intelligent, all she ever wanted to do was go to university.

“She had some mental health issues but she was a private person. She would go from one extreme to the other and it started to manifest itself more and more. We love her and miss her.”

Essex Coroner’s Court, in Chelmsford, heard that Miss Webster had been treated for depression and borderline personality disorder when she lived at her home in Dewsbury, Yorkshire.

And after moving to Colchester, Essex, to study she began to struggle again. She called her mother before ringing the police on May 9 saying she was going to end her life and was rushed to hospital.

Whilst she was in A&E, Colchester Hospital requested mental health records from Yorkshire doctors, on behalf of Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust (EPUT).

The trust sent a fax, outlining the request and did not receive details back until Miss Webster had been discharged for home treatment by a clinician.

Officials also requested psychiatric records from her university, who said that due to a data sharing protocol they were not allowed to give them out. Miss Webster was released and was found dead of May 12.

Dr Robert McCarney, a clinical psychologist for the trust, told the inquest: “I believe there are lessons to be learned.

“There was some problems with our electronic database during that week. In my opinion I don’t think that affected the care Hannah received.

“However, I think there’s some thinking we need to do about how we manage as a trust problems with the IT system.”

Emma Strivens, service manager at EPUT, said: “Essex University have a protocol for information sharing.

“I think it is really important that we do have a really positive working relationship with them but in this instance it did not pull through.”

Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said Hannah had intended to take her own life.

She said: “I’m having regard to her background, she said she was going to do this on a number of occasions.

“She clearly was much loved by all of you. I would like to say to you that I express sympathy to you. Not only have you lost her but you have had the ordeal of sitting through this inquest and have done that with dignity.

“I turn to the two trusts at the back and say that I hope that lessons have been learnt and hope that the actions are implemented.”

A University of Essex spokesman said: “This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with Hannah’s friends and family at this incredibly sad time.

“Student safety and wellbeing is at the centre of everything we do and we have arrangements with local health trusts to share data and information if it is believed a student is at risk to themselves or others.

“We’ve reviewed these arrangements in partnership with the Trust to ensure an issue of this kind cannot happen again.

“We do not believe any information we held would have affected the Trust’s assessment and the care Hannah received.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/09/27/student-took-life-university-refused-share-records-due-data/