The family of a mum whose body was found nine hours after being granted unescorted leave from a mental health hospital following her baby’s death are calling for lessons to be learned (Picture: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
A grieving teacher left devastated by the death of her newborn baby killed herself just months after being released from a psychiatric hospital despite multiple suicide attempts.
Kath Brace, 32, was found dead in the woods near the Stonebow Unit in Hereford in October 2022- just nine hours after she was granted leave.
She and her fiancé Dan Berry were left heartbroken when their son Otis passed away just a day after he was born in March 2022, and family members said her mental health began to severely deteriorate following the tragedy.
The former teacher spent four weeks in hospital in May following the loss and was detained for a further 10 days in June after an overdose attempt.
Kath Brace, aged 32, was allowed to leave the Mortimer Ward of the Stonebow Unit in Hereford where she had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act (Picture: SWNS)
Yet despite this she was still granted unescorted leave from the facility a few months later, and was found dead within hours of her release.
Kath’s family said they had tried several times to raise concerns about Kath’s care and risk assessment but felt they were not listened to, and an inquest has since ruled the NHS Trust’s failings were ‘contributory factors in the lead up to Kath’s death’.
Speaking about the ordeal for the first time, her mum Angie Brace said: ‘When Kath found out she was expecting Otis she felt so blessed, and she and Dan were facing the future with so much hope and excitement.
‘However, sadly that all changed when Otis tragically passed away.
‘Kath went from being the optimistic and upbeat person we all knew to one who really struggled with her mental health.
‘Each time we tried to raise any concerns with the Hospital Trust when Kath was either detained or at home, we felt like we weren’t really listened to.
‘We tried and tried to make our voice heard, especially around Kath absconding previously on unescorted leave, but we felt shut out and not involved in the process of trying to get her the help she needed.
The former teacher never recovered following the death of her and fiancee Dan Berry’s (Left) newborn baby, Otis (Picture: SWNS)
‘The promises made by one of Kath’s responsible clinicians were broken. Kath even needed to rely on support from charities, like Sands, to feel heard and listened to.
‘It’s almost impossible to find the words to describe what the last year or so and coming to terms with what happened has been like.
‘Kath had so much to give and it breaks all our hearts she’s no longer with us. Our family will forever remain heartbroken.
‘The world is a much darker place without her.’
Kath and Dan, who met in 2010, had been delighted when they found out they were expecting in the autumn of 2021, but her mental health began to seriously deteriorate after baby Otis died from complications.
Following an overdose attempt on June 17 Kath was detained in the Mortimer Ward under the Mental Health Act for 10 days, and continued to struggle after she was released.
She and Dan postponed their wedding that August having already postponed on two previous occasions because of Covid, and on September 24, after she was granted unescorted leave from Mortimer Ward, Kath took an overdose and attempted to hang herself, the Hospital Trust report said.
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On October 9, Kath was granted unescorted leave and she told staff she planned to go into Hereford to buy a coffee and would return in time for a visit by her mum.
However, Kath did not return, and police were called before her body was found later that day.
A report by the Trust found their risk assessment of the situation was below par, and ‘significant risk-related information’ held by Kath’s loved ones was not properly documented.
An inquest jury also found shortcomings in how Kath’s risk was assessed when she was granted leave from the unit, and that the Trust’s communication with Kath’s family ‘could have been better’.
The jury returned a narrative conclusion, endorsing the findings of the Trust’s own report that these failings were contributory factors in the lead up to Kath’s death.
Aimee Brackfield, a specialist public law and human rights lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Kath’s family, said: “This is a truly tragic case which has left Kath’s family devastated.
‘Understandably for the past 18 months they’ve had a number of questions and concerns about the care Kath received and the events leading up to her death.
‘While nothing can make up for their loss, we’re pleased that we’ve at least been able to provide them with the answers they deserve.
‘However, the inquest and the Hospital Trust’s own report have identified worrying issues in Kath’s care.
‘It’s vital that lessons are learned to improve patient safety for others.’
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