A “FIERCELY protective” mother would still be alive if it were not for a set of “clear and serious” clinical deficiencies, Essex’s NHS Mental Health Trust has been told.

A seven-day inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court concluded Angela Ling, 49, died as a result of suicide contributed to by neglect by Essex Partnership NHS Trust.

The inquest heard Angela would have likely survived had she received the care and treatment she needed for a diagnosed recurrent major depressive disorder.

Dr Dinesh Maganty told the inquest that several failings in Angela’s care, which included a failure to consult with Angela’s family, a failure to provide consistent pharmacological treatment and a failure to provide any psychological treatment, contributed to her death on December 1, 2021.

As part of the character sketch read out in court, Angela’s mother said: “Angela was never a person to do things by halves. In her own words, ‘You know me, I’m all or nothing’. She was a loving mum and fiercely protective of her children, her family. Her home and her children were everything to her.

“She had in the past talked of looking ahead to her retirement years. She told me she just wanted to potter in her home, tend her garden, grow herbs and vegetables.”

After around a month of concern, on November 17, 2021, following an overdose, Angela was taken to Broomfield Hospital.

The court heard that Angela’s care coordinator made it known to EPUT team that Angela needed inpatient care. However, Angela was discharged.

She had two at-home meetings on Saturday, November 20, and on Sunday, November 21. At the second meeting, Angela reported she was going to end her life.

Her care was not escalated at this stage and later that day, Angela attempted to take her own life. She was taken to hospital, but had suffered irreversible brain damage.

Paul Scott, chief executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Trust, said: “I am sorry for the mistakes that were made in caring for Angela and offer my deepest condolences to her family and friends following their tragic loss. We recognise the vital role families play in the care of their loved ones, and we are focused on working closely with them to drive improvement across our services.”

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