Ellie Major, from Hessle, near Hull, was found dead at her home on August 10 last year. An inquest found she had died with a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs in her system
A mother who was deemed ‘low risk’ despite previous suicide attempts died after a drug overdose, an inquest has heard.
Ellie Major, from Hessle, near Hull, had her mental health treatment delayed as a result of the classification – a decision which her family said ‘contributed to her poor mental health’.
At Hull Coroner’s Court yesterday, it was found that the 24-year-old, had died with a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs in her system on August 10 last year.
The mum-of-one had been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a type of arthritis effecting her joints, when she was aged 14 and was prescribed painkillers to deal with the pain.
The inquest into her death found that Ms Major had attempted to end her own life by overdosing on drugs in March 2017, which resulted in her losing custody over her son.
But it had taken six months for her to be assessed by mental health experts because she was not a high risk.
Ms Major’s social worker told the hearing that the young mum had been ‘at the bottom of her list’ because she was at a ‘low/medium risk’.
She told the hearing through tears: ‘When I found out about Ellie’s death I was following up an appointment with her. I never accepted it, and that is what has thrown me so much.
‘When I spoke with Ellie, she reassured me that her previous attempt to take her own life was impulsive and she was very remourseful.’
The inquest into her death found that Ms Major (left and right) had attempted to end her own life by overdosing on drugs in March 2017, which resulted in her losing custody over her son
But Ms Major’s heartbroken mother Marie Mitchell, 49, said it was ‘beyond her’ she had been deemed a ‘low risk’.
She said: ‘How they can say there is not an urgent risk for a mum who tried to take her own life is beyond me – and her first assessment only happened six months later.’
And Ms Major’s sister, Emily Major, 26, paying tribute, said: ‘You can see from the pictures how beautiful and stunning my sister was.
‘She was a loving and caring parent and a brilliant mother to her three-year-old son. She had a really distinctive and infectious laugh.’
Ms Major’s father, Mark David Major, said Ms Major had been looking forward to spending time on two booked holidays.
He said: ‘I think it was just an accident. She was just wanting to get her high. Ellie did not mean to take her own life and under estimated the strength of her new tablets.’
The family also demanded answers over why Ellie was still being given eight different types of medication, despite her using the drugs to take her own life previously.
The inquest into Ms Major’s death was heard at Hull Coroner’s Court yesterday. Concluding the inquest as an ‘open conclusion’, coroner Professor Paul Marks said the evidence showed Ms Major’s death was an accident
Mr Major said he grew concerned about his daughter when he did not receive a WhatsApp message from her.
Police Officer John Norcross found ‘boxes and bags of prescription drugs’ across the property.
PC Norcross told the hearing: ‘There was no evidence of third party involvement or anything suspicious.’
Dr Ian Richmond, consultant histopathologist, said that the medical cause of death was ‘multiple drug toxicity’.
Concluding the inquest as an ‘open conclusion’, coroner Professor Paul Marks said the evidence showed Ms Major’s death was an accident.
He said: ‘The evidence heard today could make me believe up to the civil standard of proof, that I am persuaded by her father’s communication, this is probably an accident.’
The family said they would be looking to lodge a complaint with the NHS and ‘take things further’.
Her heartbroken mother Marie Mitchell, 49, said: ‘It is better than what we were expecting, but we still have a lot of unanswered questions which we couldn’t ask because the GP didn’t have Ellie’s notes in front of him.’
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