Inquest told of gaps in patient’s hospital record

Paranoid schizophrenic Jonathan Ferguson stood his bed on its end and hanged himself with bedsheets while on the Stephenson Centre mental health unit at the University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, in September 2006.

Nurse Gary Parnell said that following Mr Ferguson's admission to the hospital, he thought there was a greater risk of the 25- year-old absconding than killing himself.

Mr Parnell said: "Jonathan at that time posed a low to medium risk to himself, and there was no evidence that he had ideas of self-harm or suicidal thoughts. There was a risk of Jonathan absconding from hospital due to his initial reluctance to be admitted."

Unemployed Mr Ferguson, from Stockton, hanged himself while Mr Parnell was on leave, but the nurse told the inquest he got to know the patient in the three days he was on the ward with him.

Mr Parnell said: "During my conversations with him over that period, he denied any suggestion of wanting to harm himself and I detected no signs that was not the case."

Barrister Nick Armstrong, representing Mr Ferguson's family, told the nurse there were gaps in the record of Mr Ferguson's care at the centre.

Mr Parnell said: "Engagements or interactive discussions (with the patient) do not need recording if nothing significant happens."

Mr Armstrong said: "There is no evidence of engagement here. All the way through, we have gaps of seven hours."

Solicitor Nia Drabble, representing the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust said seven-hour gaps could reflect the end of a shift, when nurses' notes would be written up, in the event of a patient being settled and there being nothing to report.

She said: "In addition to carrying out close observations, every nurse on the ward would try to engage with the patients. Therapeutic engagement is done by nurses on the ward."

Mr Parnell left the unit in March last year and is now working as a community nurse.

The inquest continues today.