Health authorities failed tragic Bexley alcoholic, coroner says – South London News

By Joe Coughlan, Local Reporter for Democracy

A coroner has criticised health authorities in the UK after a woman died of an alcohol overdose while waiting for treatment.

According to reports, the woman was often found drunk during home visits by NHS staff in the months before her death.

Emily Rose Collishaw, 35, was found dead in her apartment on September 6, 2023. She is said to have suffered from alcohol addiction and drank several bottles of wine every day.

After her death, an investigation was launched which found that the medical cause of death was alcohol abuse.

The coroner's report said Ms Collishaw began treatment for substance abuse in December 2022 at an NHS centre in Erith, Bexley, and had regular contact with a key worker, but she later received home care following a fall she suffered while drunk.

The report states: “In June 2023, the Bexley Home Treatment Team managed her mental health after she was admitted to hospital with injuries from a fall while intoxicated. Her family believed she was unable to discharge herself, a view not supported by a psychiatrist.”

Ms Collishaw was then referred for an assessment for inpatient rehabilitation, but this was reportedly not carried out until November of that year. An investigation into the case revealed that the waiting time for such placement was usually three months, but could be as long as seven months.

The director of the Erith treatment centre claimed that the waiting time to access inpatient care had increased over the last decade, posing risks to patients such as sudden death.

The report states that Ms Collishaw's family believe that she should have been transferred to a care home earlier as they believe her living situation posed a risk to her health.

The investigation found that Ms Collishaw did not follow treatment consistently and frequently relapsed after periods of reduced alcohol intake.

The coroner found that Ms Collishaw's mother considered that the support provided by the organisations that had worked with her daughter in the six months before her death had been insufficient to maintain her physical health or to encourage her to remain abstinent.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to Emily's family and friends in this tragic case. It is important that we learn lessons from each report to prevent future deaths and we will carefully consider the report before responding appropriately.”

They added: “Too many people wait too long for the care they deserve. We will reform the broken NHS to make sure the health service is there for all of us when we need it.”

A spokesperson for the NHS South East London ICB told LDRS that the team responsible was investigating the case with a view to providing a response to NHS England before the beginning of September.

The Ministry for Social Equality, Housing and Local Government was asked for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.

Image above: The NHS alcohol help centre in Erith was criticised in the investigation report (Image: Google Street View)

Related Posts