Mental health ‘Care gaps, poor communication and a 26-day stay in A&E’ lay behind death

A coroner has ordered an integrated care board to fill gaps in its services and address mental health bed shortages following the death of a 29-year-old with autism and ADHD who spent 26 days in A&E.

Matthew “Matty” Sheldrick (they/them), who identified as non-binary, died from self-ligature outside Royal Sussex County Hospital after returning to A&E one month on from the 26-day stay. Matty had struggled to access community services for support with their mental health, autism, and ADHD.

Confusion about and delays to appointments during their time in hospital and the community contributed to a sense of hopelessness, according to Matty’s mother, Shelagh Sheldrick.

In two prevention of future death reports published last month, senior area coroner Penelope Schofield said Matty received “no meaningful therapeutic input” during their prolonged first stay in an A&E short-stay ward and that the environment “contributed to the deterioration of their mental health difficulties”.

In a report addressed to Sussex Integrated Care Board, Ms Schofield raised concerns over a lack of funding for private mental health beds for autism patients, and the fact that oversubscribed public providers “very often” rejected referrals for autism patients because of “additional risks”.

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Source: HSJ, 28 January 2025