Sectioned mental health patient dies after swallowing eight-inch table knife

A patient at a mental health hospital died after swallowing an eight-inch table knife, an inquest has heard.

Suzanne Johnston died on March 9, 2017, from multi-organ failure caused by sepsis due to a perforated gastric wall after she swallowed the 21cm metal knife.

At the time, the 41-year-old was a sectioned patient at Sturdee Hospital in Eyres Monsell, Leicestershire.

The hearing in Leicester was told that Ms Johnston had first told staff at the hospital she had swallowed the knife two months before her death.

Lynn Barnes, clinical lead at the hospital's rehabilitation unit for people with mental health issues and personality disorders, said Ms Johnston later said she had not swallowed the knife and had showed no signs of being unwell.The hospital medic said Ms Johnston, who had a personality disorder, had a history of saying she had swallowed things but often had not.

Ms Barnes said that an ambulance was called after Ms Johnston first made the knife report on January 4. Paramedic Robert Thomas told the court how he and a colleague answered the call and carried out a set of observational tests on Ms Johnston in her room.

Mr Thomas said,

Ms Barnes said Ms Johnston carried on with life as normal and was eating, drinking and going out on unescorted leave away from the hospital site.

The hearing was told that Ms Johnston had a chest X-ray at Leicester Royal Infirmary on February 20 after she developed signs of a chest infection.

That X-ray revealed the tip of a knife which was removed by surgeons two days later. Ms Johnston developed complications and her condition deteriorated until she died from multi-organ failure on March 9.