Blogger Beth Matthews told staff about buying substance, inquest hears

Weeks before a blogger died at a secure mental health unit she told a staff member it was possible to buy things "to do the job", an inquest has heard.

Beth Matthews, 26, 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.

Ms Matthews, who blogged about her mental health, 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 the time of her death.

Manchester South Coroners' Court in Stockport was told weeks before her death Ms Matthews, who has been described as "bright and vivacious", had been discussing euthanasia with a nurse and stated she should have the right to end her own life.

The inquest heard she told a care worker: "There are things you can purchase to do the job."

When questioned about whether she had bought "something risky" she replied: "It's already done now."

The inquest was told she added: "I've said too much."

Giving evidence Dr Taslim Kamath, who supervised patients on the ward, said: "I was not aware of that", adding, "It should have been brought to my attention as soon as possible".

When asked about events on the day Ms Matthews died, Dr Kamath said she received a phone call at 13:15 BST on 21 March from the ward informing her that Ms Matthews had swallowed a substance.

The clinician said she had "never heard of the substance in my life before", and advised the team to call 999 for an ambulance.

She admitted there had been confusion about the name of the substance.

Assistant Coroner Andrew Bridgman asked her how she found out more about it and the witness replied: "Google."

Dr Kamath told the inquest "alarm bells" were ringing and at 13:30 she was informed that Ms Matthews appeared "agitated" but "was sitting up and talking and did not need my immediate attention".

At 13:40 the doctor went to the ward and was "shocked" to see paramedics and the hospital crash team trying to resuscitate the 26-year-old.

Dr Kamath later learned Ms Matthews had died.

The inquest has previously been told a risk screening concluded three days before her death decided "everything Beth orders must be checked by staff… we need to be opening parcels for her".

A note in November 2021 had encouraged staff to be "hyper vigilant" when Ms Matthews opened parcels and following an incident involving Ms Matthews later that month, it was recommended that staff should open her parcels, but this was not discussed in meetings with senior staff convened to discuss her treatment.

The inquest continues.

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