‘I trusted them to take care of her – they let us down’: Grieving husband slams hospital where mother-of-two, 34, with post-natal psychosis killed herself

A grieving husband has criticized the hospital for granting his wife with post-natal psychosis ‘an hour of unsupervised leave’ after she committed suicide.

Abigail Menoret, from Maidenhead, suffered the debilitating disease after the birth of her second son in January 2022.

The 34-year-old was admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act after suffering from post-natal depression after both of her previous pregnancies.

But in September 2023, after the hospital granted her unescorted leave, she pre-booked a taxi to take her home – knowing her husband and children would be away – and took her own life.

Now, following an inquest into her death, her husband François-Marie Menoret said he had been ‘let down’ by the staff who treated her, arguing that he ‘trusted’ them to keep a close eye on her.

The jury heard evidence of several shortcomings in communications between the trust and Ms Menoret’s family – including difficulties arising from her illness, which often made her look good even when she was not.

Mr Menoret said: ‘I feel let down by the doctors responsible for Abi’s care.

‘The lack of consistency made it difficult to build relationships with staff and every time something changed it felt like we were starting all over again.

‘Each consultant had different views on what was best for Abi and what type and dose of medication she should receive.

‘Ultimately the main problem was that I had not taken into account my very real concern that Abi might try to commit suicide while I was in France with our sons.

‘I trusted those who cared for her to keep a close eye on her, and it was a huge shock to me to discover that her leave allowance and therefore her freedom to go outside independently had actually increased during this period.

‘I am devastated by the loss of my beautiful wife, who was a loving and devoted mother to our two sons.’

Mr Menoret, represented by Leigh Day, told the inquest that Prospect Park Hospital in Reading had allowed his wife increasing periods of unescorted leave.

This is despite her persistent delusions, risk of self-harm and recognized persistent risk of suicide.

On the day of her death, Mrs. Menoret had been granted a one-hour period of unsupervised leave – an increase from when she had previously been granted permission.

Concerns had already been raised about her husband and children visiting family in France.

The inquest also found there was a lack of continuity in her care, with frequent changes of consultants, regular changes to her medication and inconsistent family involvement in key decisions.

Mr Menoret and police were also not contacted within 30 minutes after she failed to return from her hour of leave – a guideline for trust.

Clinical negligence lawyer Frankie Rhodes, of Leigh Day, said: “It is tragic that Abi died so early, leaving behind her precious young sons.

‘The trust’s own Serious Incident report, which was carried out as part of the investigation, highlighted that there is a lack of documentary evidence showing that changes to furlough arrangements were more widely discussed and considered at multi-disciplinary team meetings and with Abi’s husband .

‘There were errors in completing leave forms and there were gaps in the registration and deregistration record when the leave took place.

‘Risks relating to holidays were also not clearly documented as part of the risk assessment for patients.

‘In light of these shortcomings, I am disappointed by the coroner’s decision not to allow the family’s representative to ask questions with confidence about the central issue of what has already been implemented and what will change to ensure to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen. happen again.

‘As a result, I am concerned about the lack of a clear overview of what the trust will do in the future to minimize human error in the management of its processes and prevent tragic outcomes such as our client’s.’

Ms Menoret’s family described her as a ‘remarkable woman, mother, wife, daughter and friend’.

Postpartum psychosis affects approximately one in a thousand women every year.

It’s different from the “baby blues” that 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 ten women to some degree.

This can cause 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 symptoms include manic moods, being paranoid or anxious, acting out of character, confusion, and restlessness.

Little is known about how and what exactly causes the disease and so far there is little evidence to suggest that the disease may be linked to traumatic birth.

According to the NHS, antidepressants can be prescribed to relieve symptoms, as can antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, such as lithium.

Psychological therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can help patients manage how they think and act.

In rare cases, electroconvulsive therapy can help with severe depression or mania.

Most women with PP recover completely if treated correctly.