Tragic Victoria’s treatment probe

Coroner halts inquest to demand answers from Trust

AN inquest into the death of a young Failsworth woman had to be adjourned yesterday after serious questions were raised about the treatment she received from the Pennine Care Trust.

Coronor Simon Nelson is to summon representatives from the Trust following the death of Victoria Kershaw, who was found hanged at her home in Alan Avenue on January 24, three days before her 24th birthday.

The court heard that Victoria, a former Failsworth School pupil, was seen by A&E liaison nurse, Laura McManus, on December 6, last year, after taking a paracetamol overdose.

Ms McManus wrote a letter to Miss Kershaw’s GP recommending that she be put on anti depressants and referred to a counsellor, but this letter was not sent until January 7.

A letter referring Miss Kershaw for an assessment was finally received by her parents on January 27 — three days after her death.

The court heard that Miss Kershaw became very down after she was forced out of a job she loved by a string of false allegations made by colleagues.

During her time at the company, she noticed money was going missing and told the managing director.

She herself came under suspicion for a time until the real culprit was found and dismissed.

Soon afterwards, a number of false accusations were levelled at her and she was suspended for a time.

She began to see her GP for work-related stress and was eventually made redundant, despite the fact that the allegations turned out to be completely false. Miss Kershaw’s father, Peter Kershaw, also of Alan Avenue, said: “Victoria had a number of job interviews and job offers, but her heart was not in any of them.

“She also became concerned because she believed that the girl friend of the manager she had been having problems with in her old job had been given her job after they’d made her redundant.”

On December 6, soon after her relationship with her boy friend broke down, Miss Kershaw, who was working as a ledger clerk, took an overdose and was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Once there, she was seen by Ms McManus, who noted that Miss Kershaw was feeling very negative, empty and worthless, but Miss Kershaw told the nurse that she had regretted what she had done and Ms McManus concluded that she was suffering from a poor reaction to a stressful situation.

But another month passed before these findings and her recommendations for Miss Kershaw’s treatment were detailed in a letter to her GP.

Coroner Simon Nelson said: “The concern I have is that if she was seen on December 6, is it reasonable that the letter arising from that appointment was dated January 7?

“My initial view is that given the concerns expressed by Ms McManus I think it not unreasonable that those concerns be acted upon before nearly two months had elapsed.”

Mr Nelson adjourned the inquest so that the Trust can give an explanation as to what happened.