Blackpool hospital neglect contributed to suicide of man who waited 22 hours for help, coroner rules

The death of a 27-year-old man who killed himself in a hospital toilet after waiting 22 hours to be seen by the mental health team was “contributed to by neglect”, a coroner has ruled.

Jamie Pearson was admitted to Blackpool Victoria hospital’s A&E department after taking an overdose of high-strength painkillers on 17 August 2024.

An inquest heard that Pearson should have been seen within four hours by mental health specialists but was deemed low risk and was still waiting 22 hours later when he killed himself in a toilet.

His mother, Julie Knowles, previously told the Guardian her son was “badly failed and let down” by health professionals.

Alan Wilson, the senior coroner for Blackpool and Fylde, concluded on Tuesday that Pearson’s death had been “contributed to by neglect”. He said the cumulative effect of the missed opportunities to provide mental health care “very comfortably” crossed the high threshold required for a finding of neglect.

The inquest heard that the hospital was struggling to manage patient levels at the time, with no medical bed available. This meant Pearson was left in a waiting area overnight and into the following day.

A communication breakdown meant that plans were not made for mental health specialists to see him as a priority, the coroner was told.

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Source: The Guardian, 10 September 2025