Concerns were raised over the care provided by the Royal Bolton Hospital, Bolton Social Services and Greater Manchester Mental Health teams following the tragic death of Evelin Chacko in July 2020.
Evelin was a loving and caring 16 year old student of Bolton College. Unfortunately, she had a history of self-harm and suicide attempts and was being treated for mental health issues by her GP. Evelin was admitted into hospital following an intentional overdose on 1 July 2020.
Sadly, Evelin took her own life on 13 July 2020 whilst an inpatient.
An inquest into Evelin’s death was opened at Bolton Coroners Court. Although the inquest was not heard in its entirety, the Senior Coroner heard evidence been given by Bolton Hospital representatives who made a number of admissions. Namely:
- Evelin was treated on an adult acute ward which normally looks after elderly patients, Bolton Hospital has admitted this was an inappropriate ward
- The named nurse for Evelin did not have enough time to review Evelin’s notes
- Requests had been made by Doctors and Staff, for Evelin to be moved to a more appropriate ward that could meet her needs, but nothing happened
- Evelin was allowed to leave the ward alone for several hours at a time without anyone knowing her location.
Evidence has yet to be heard from Greater Manchester Mental Health Team and Bolton Social Services who also played important roles in the care of Evelin. The inquest lasted for two days before being adjourned and is to be resumed in late October 2023.
The Family of Evelin Chacko have been, and continue to be, supported and represented at the inquest by trainee solicitor, Joseph Hilton of Oakwood Solicitors. Joseph comments:
“This is a deeply upsetting matter and already through the evidence heard, systemic failures in the system at Bolton Hospital have been identified. I am supporting the family through this difficult time and I hope that the final outcome of the Coroners Court will lead to changes in the system to prevent this from happening again. My hope is the family will take some comfort in this.”
Inquests serve as a critical tool in understanding the factors that contribute to suicides to allow society and healthcare providers to make informed changes. Inquests shed light on the circumstances surrounding unexplained or unexpected deaths, including suicide.
Inquests particularly promote accountability, prevention and the improvement of support systems for individuals struggling with mental health challenges.
Relevant reading
Article – Oakwood Solicitors successfully represents Haydon Croucher Medical Negligence case
Hospital negligence – Oakwood Solicitors
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Carol Cook joined Oakwood Solicitors in May 2017 to lead the Medical Negligence Department.
Carol handles a wide range of clinical, cosmetic and dental negligence claims and has years of experi…
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