Blackpool dad, 43, tragically found dead on day before mental health triage after 'angel' text to father

NHS bosses have made changes to mental health service consultation schedules following the death of a Blackpool dad, an inquest heard.

Thomas Lynch, 43, was found hanged at his home in Primrose Avenue, South Shore shortly after sending an ‘incoherent’ text mentioning an angel to his father Paul, which caused the older man concern and prompted him to go to his son’s house to check on his welfare.

The inquest at Blackpool Town Hall heard that Thomas had borderline personality disorder and had several times threatened to take his own life, but never attempting to follow through with the threat.

His father said Thomas’ threats of self-harm were brought on by stresses such as financial or relationship worries but the family felt he was generally happy and that the incident which led to his death was a case of him acting on impulse rather than with any intention to self harm.

Thomas had been particularly stressed over the Christmas and New Year period and on New Year’s Day contacted the NHS mental health helpline, saying he had had suicidal thoughts.

But he told the health professional on the helpline that he had no intention of acting on his thoughts and convinced her he could maintain his safety, adding that he would let them know if his situation changed.

It was arranged for him to have a mental health triage, which usually happened within 10 days, but it was January 25 - more than three weeks after his initial call - before he was contacted and a triage appointment was arranged for February 11 - the day after he died.

The Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for mental health services in Blackpool, indicated the delay in arranging the triage appointment had been due to issues such as staffing and the inquest was told that changes had been introduced to ensure contact in such cases was now made within eight working days.

Mr Wilson said if Thomas had been triaged sooner, there might have been a different outcome but there was no evidence that there would have been, and no indication that such a delay is a wider issue.

The coroner also ruled out a conclusion of suicide as such an intention would have required clarity of thought and he was not convinced that was the case with Thomas at the time. Mr Wilson recorded a narrative conclusion based on the circumstances of Thomas’ death.

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