Rachel Garrett: Family react at end of inquest into Hove woman's death

Andy and Sarah Garrett said that they had “mixed feelings” following the conclusion of an inquest into the death of their daughter Rachel, 22.

However, the family criticised mental health services who treated Rachel in her last months, adding they never felt they were heard.

Speaking following the conclusion of the inquest in Brighton, Andy and Sarah said: “Too much emphasis has been placed on the day of Rachel’s death, yet in reality we had been desperately seeking help for many months.

Rachel Garrett (Image: Family handout)

“Instead, we feel Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust spectacularly failed to take into consideration all of the risk factors when assessing Rachel. As her parents, they should have also taken into consideration our concerns when making decisions. We should have been heard but we felt we never were."

Andy said: “It’s a mixed feeling really, we are very pleased about the Prevention of Future Death report we think that’s of huge significance and hopefully beneficial to other people and will hopefully save lives.

“That feels hugely significant and important and that Rachel will have some form of legacy at least.”

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The inquest into Rachel’s death concluded there was a “missed opportunity” in preventing her from leaving the emergency department of the Royal Sussex County Hospital hours before she died.

Rachel, of Brunswick Square in Hove, committed suicide on July 29, 2020, falling from cliffs in Brighton Marina.

Paying tribute to their daughter, her parents called her the “joyful, beating heart” of their family and praised her for her creativity and talent.

Mum Sarah said: “Rachel had a fantastic sense of humour and she made and kept groups of friends.

“She really wanted to give back and was a great joiner of groups and activities and a great campaigner.

“We had great faith that she could crack her illness with the right treatment.”

Her family also praised their daughter’s passion for music as a drummer for Brighton-based band Grasshopper.

Rachel performing for grasshopper (Image: Family handout)

The band played several festivals including the Isle of Wight and Kendal Calling, and Rachel became good friends with Ben Thompson, the drummer of Two Door Cinema Club.

Ben attended a concert held in Rachel’s name after her death, called Rock For Rachel.

Concluding the inquest at the Leonardo Hotel in Stroudley Road yesterday, senior coroner Penelope Schofield expressed her concern at delays in enacting “holding powers” to protect mental health patients in emergency departments.

She remarked: “In the fast-moving world of A&E this causes me a concern as I cannot foresee that these doctors would be immediately available to assist should a mental health patient abscond.

"I’m afraid that I take the view that by the time this is done the patient will be long gone.”

Rachel Garrett (Image: Family handout)

The coroner ordered a Prevention of Future Death report to be sent to NHS England and NHS Sussex to address who mental health nurses are employed in hospitals.

The report was delayed for six months while Sussex Partnership and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trusts continue to enact changes already being implemented.

Chris Callender, a solicitor for the family from Simpson Millar provided by charity Inquest, said: “Hopefully the government will respond to the Prevention of Future Death report in such a way to change services to ensure that they protect very vulnerable people.

“I think it would be quite significant for the trust to work more closely with families on significant changes along these lines.

“That would indicate a shift away from ‘the professional knows best’ to ‘the professional needs to work with families and listen to them as well as make decisions.’”

Rachel Garrett

Sussex Police, University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the Independent Office for Police Conduct all expressed their condolences over Rachel's death.

In a joint statement, the two NHS trusts said: "We acknowledge the challenges in supporting Rachel's highly complex, fluctuating mental health difficulties and the impact this had on her family.

“As a priority, we are working with our health care partners to continue to improve the ways we collaboratively support vulnerable mental health patients in crisis and keep them safe."

Detective Superintendent Rachel Carr said: “Rachel’s family have worked tirelessly and with dignity to ensure the challenges faced by Rachel were properly scrutinised at her inquest.

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“Safeguarding those with complex mental health needs is challenging and, with Rachel, officers did all they could within the law to protect her.

“We accept the findings of the inquest and continue to seek to improve where any learning is identified.”

The IOPC said it did not find any disciplinary matters during the events but said an officer should reflect and learn from their failure to communicate with a mental health nurse.