Blogger Beth Matthews' parcel should have been checked, jury told

A blogger who died at a secure mental health unit should not have been allowed to open her own post, according to a risk assessment carried out only three days before her death.

Beth Matthews, 26 and from Cornwall, had a poisonous substance delivered to a psychiatric ward at the Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal in Stockport.

She opened the parcel in front of staff on 21 March and swallowed the contents.

"Bright and vivacious" Ms Matthews was followed by thousands on social media.

She was being treated as an NHS patient at the private hospital run by the Priory Group.

At her inquest, ward manager Jonathan Heathcote said Ms Matthews was on the second highest level of observation.

This meant a member of staff was required to keep her within eyesight at all times.

A risk screening, carried out on 18 March, concluded "everything Beth orders must be checked by staff… we need to be opening parcels for her".

Mr Heathcote said it was a "very unusual thing to do, to be opening parcels for somebody".

The standard practice was to allow a patient to open their own post with "two staff being vigilant, at arm's length".

This recommendation was not discussed with Ms Matthews, the inquest heard.

Mr Heathcote was asked by Assistant Coroner Andrew Bridgman if the new protocol "should have been discussed" with her.

"It should have been discussed, full stop," he replied.

The inquest previously heard Ms Matthews ordered the poisonous substance on the internet.

The inquest heard the substance arrived in a parcel with "foreign writing" on the side and was in a small plastic screw-top container.

Mr Heathcote told the jury: "I was not aware you could order such items online."

An internal report by the Priory found there was "some inconsistency" in the knowledge of Ms Matthews' care plan.

Some staff opened post for her, while others would let her open her own parcels with staff present.

The inquest also heard that three weeks before she died, Ms Matthews told a member of staff: "There are things you can buy, to do the job."

When asked what she meant, Ms Matthews is said to have replied: "It's already done now."

The inquest heard that a note in November 2021 had encouraged staff to be "hyper vigilant" when Ms Matthews opened parcels.

Later that month, after an incident involving Ms Matthews, it was recommended that staff should open her parcels.

This was not discussed in meetings with senior staff convened to discuss her treatment, the inquest heard.

Mr Heathcote told the court: "It clearly should have been raised and some learnings have come from that."

Questioned by Stephen Jones, representing the family, he replied: "The documentation is not up to scratch."

The inquest continues.

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