‘Robbed of the chance of being a happy family’: Father takes his own life after mental health failings

A “kind and loving” father-of-two with long-standing mental health problems took his own life after an NHS Trust failed to give him appropriate support during his final months.

Wandsworth resident Alex – not his real name – suffered “11 years of mental torture”, which saw him ultimately taking his own life in July 2017, aged just 42.

His wife said: “I will never accept how it came to this, nor understand the brutal unfairness of his circumstances.”

When the couple first met in 2005, they were “inseparable” and went on to live happily with their two children. 

Alex was a trained electrician, but when work began to dry up in 2013, he started to experience anxiety and depression.

While taking whatever jobs he could, which meant working long and antisocial hours to balance income with childcare, his mental state deteriorated and he began to drink heavily.

Alex’s wife said: “Being the breadwinner was a big deal for him. He told me that he ‘loves me to bits but he isn’t bringing anything to the table’ and this was heartbreaking for him.”

In February 2017, Alex was admitted to St Georges Hospital in Blackshaw Road, Tooting, after attempting to take his own life.

He sought help from South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust after he was discharged from hospital.

But the only support he received between his discharge in February and his death in July – despite  intervention from his GP to try and secure further care – was a single telephone assessment two days after he left the hospital. 

The Trust has admitted failing to provide him with appropriate assessment and care when he came to them before his death. 

Alex’s wife said: “I strongly believe that with the right treatment, we could have been a happy family again. 

“Our children were still young at the time of their father’s death. I believe we have all been robbed of the chance to have a very different family life, if only he had been given the care he needed.

“I am devastated that our children are growing up without their kind and loving father and I have lost the love of my life. 

“I hope the mental health care and support system improves for others, for those actively seeking help and in desperate need, just like he was, to give his short life some meaning and purpose and that no one else suffers the same fate.”

Rachel Shafar, clinical negligence specialist associate at Slater and Gordon, acted for the family against South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.

Ms Shafar said: “This is a truly heartbreaking case, where this man had battled with his mental health for many years and had received support – but when his condition really took hold, and he desperately needed the intervention of specialist services, he was left on his own.

“The care delivered to him when he really needed it was sub-standard and negligent – and his family must now cope with a life without him.

“This man, and this whole family, were badly let down. We can only hope lessons are learned from this tragedy and that other families are saved from suffering in the way our clients continue every day.”

A spokeswoman for South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust said: “We are deeply sorry that our standards of care fell below those we strive to achieve, and our thoughts remain with their family and friends. Providing safe, high-quality care is our highest priority.

“Over the past seven years, we’ve implemented significant improvements to our community services with the aim of ensuring that all patients receive the appropriate assessment, care, and treatment they need.”

(Picture: Ron Lach/Pexels)