Inquest hears GP gave Steve Dymond 'very urgent' mental health referral prior to Jeremy Kyle Show
Steve Dymond, had been given a "very urgent" mental health referral from the GP, around two months before being a guest on the Jeremy Kyle Show, an inquest has heard.
He had taken a lie detector test for the programme after being accused of cheating on Jane Callaghan, from Gosport.
The inquest into his death heard how Mr Dymond asked his local GP to write a letter to say his mental health had improved so he could go on the show.
The GP agreed and wrote, Mr Dymond's mood and appearance had improved but declined to say he was not suffering from depression.
Looking at Mr Dymond's medical history, the inquest heard that he had been diagnosed with a depressive disorder in 1995.
He was sectioned on 22 September 2005 and a mental health assessment found he was at "risk of suicide".
Dr Amjad Rehman, a GP at the Rowner Health Centre in Gosport, Hampshire, told the inquest that he saw Mr Dymond on 14 March 2019.
He said that Mr Dymond had suicidal thoughts and he made a "very urgent" referral to the acute mental health crisis team.
He said: "He was very depressed and said he was depressed for the last four weeks, he was separated from his partner for the last four weeks.
"He kept lying to her, was continually lying to his partner, that is why he left the house and was in bed and breakfast now."
He added: "I examined him, he was very anxious, picking at his arm and he was very upset.
"He was telling me that he intended to walk in front of a moving car, I referred him to the acute mental health crisis team."
Dr Rehman said that Mr Dymond's case was referred back to the community health team, under his supervision, because he was deemed to be of "low risk of suicide" and had been experiencing a "reactive episode" to his relationship breakdown.
He said that he saw Mr Dymond again on 29 March when he prescribed him the antidepressant Sertraline.
Dr Rehman said that he was still reporting "off and on self-harm thoughts" but had no "plans to materialise them".
A few weeks later on 10 April, the inquest heard that Mr Dymond saw a nurse practitioner, when he asked for a letter to say he was not depressed or taking anti-depressants so that he could go on a television show to take a lie detector test.
He had handed back the anti-depressants unused, but the nurse refused to write the letter.
Dr Rehman said that Mr Dymond then attended his surgery on 29 April, "banged" open his door with his foot and "aggressively" asked for the letter "as a matter of life or death".
The GP said that Mr Dymond’s mood and appearance had improved and agreed to write a letter reflecting this, but declined to say that he was not suffering from depression.
The letter read to the inquest said: "I write to confirm that Mr Dymond is registered with this practice.
"Mr Dymond has a history of low mood and depression but his mood has improved since he got back together with his partner.
"I saw him for review at the surgery today and his mood has improved and he is not taking any anti-depressants at this time. I hope you will find this information helpful."
Dr Rehman said he knew Mr Dymond wanted to go on a TV show but did not ask for further details.
He added that not all of Mr Dymond’s medical records connected to his mental health were available on his system at the time of the consultation.
The hearing continues.
Mental health help and support links:
Samaritans: Call on 116 123 or visit the website.
NHS 111: Non-emergency advice is available online (Only call 111 if you cannot get help online). People with hearing problems can use the NHS 111 British Sign Language (BSL) service.
MIND: Call 0300 123 3393 or find tips and support on its website. Mind information and support.
Shout: Confidential 24/7 crisis text support. Text "SHOUT" to 85258 or visit Shout Crisis Text Line.
Crisis Support For Young People: Under 35s. Call Papyrus's Hopeline UK from 9am to 10pm weekdays and 2pm to 10pm on weekends. 0800 068 41 41. Text 07786 209697 or visit the Papyrus website.
CALM: The Campaign Against Living Miserably, for people in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason. Call 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight). Free, anonymous webchat with trained staff or visit the CALM website.
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