Son died while on '90-minute unsupervised leave from hospital', inquest hears

12 February 2024 , 18:18

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Ty Steven Channce, 20, was an inpatient at Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough

A 'beautiful' son died in a woods after being given unsupervised leave from an NHS mental health hospital, an inquest heard.

Ty Steven Channce was an inpatient at Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough when he died on April 28, 2021. The 20-year-old suffered from psychosis and was made subject of a restriction order to remain at the hospital following an attack on a family member.

Described by his family as a "bundle of joy", he was last seen at 3pm on the ward before he left for 90 minutes unsupervised leave. His body was tragically found hours later in a wooded area in Nunthorpe, North Yorkshire at around 6.40pm.

An inquest looking into the circumstances around his death resumed at Teesside Coroner's Court on Monday, and heard Ty was found unresponsive by a jogger, reports Teesside Live. Ty was reported missing when he failed to return to the Nightingale ward at the hospital, and PC 2615 Roberts of Cleveland Police was called to the scene.

Dr Jennifer Bolton, Home Office pathologist, carried out a post-mortem and noted there were no toxicological findings to account for Ty's death. She also confirmed Ty was not suffering from any natural disease, and gave a cause of death as being associated with hanging.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

The inquest heard police spoke to the hospital ward manager who said Ty was last seen at 3pm on the ward before he left for 90 minutes of unsupervised leave. The inquest heard prior to Covid, Ty had been allowed to leave three days a week for eight hours a day with restrictions - but his mental health had deteriorated during the pandemic.

It was claimed Ty never posed a risk to himself and had never mentioned self-harm or suicide. During the hearing, Ty's family raised concerns regarding his care and paid tribute to the young man. His mum Cheryl Allan said: "In the passing of my beautiful son I have been tasked with writing a story from a mother's perspective on my son's life. Ty was a bundle of joy. He obviously brought a lot of love, joy, laughter and smiles into our life. Ty had a wonderful personality."

His family said during Covid Ty's mental health declined and they believe he should have never been granted unsupervised leave from the hospital at that time. Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Roseberry Park Hospital, have been approached for comment.

*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas