A 29-year-old trans person who felt “dismissed, ignored and lied to” by mental health workers took their own life outside a hospital despite “screaming very loudly for help to stay alive”, their mother has told an inquest.
Matty Sheldrick left A&E and hanged themselves in the grounds of Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton having “lost all hope” on November 4 and died on November 22, 2022.
Mx Sheldrick was autistic and had ADHD. They moved to Hove in November 2021 with their rescue dog Lola, hoping to live an independent life and did so “with so much hope” that with the right support, they could live a happy and productive life, their mother Sheila Sheldrick said.
But after a decline in their mental health, they were admitted to the short-stay ward at the hospital for suicidal thoughts on September 5 2022, where they stayed for more than three weeks.
Ms Sheldrick told Horsham Coroner’s Court that Mx Sheldrick “reached out for help that did not appear to exist”.
She described how on the ward, Mx Sheldrick was yelled at by a mental health nurse, threatened with being discharged when they said they felt unsafe and held down and sedated when they were having a meltdown.
Ms Sheldrick said the sedation began their distrust of the mental health professionals at the hospital, who worked as part of Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust.
In contrast, she said they spoke fondly of health care assistants and security staff at the hospital, working under University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
“All that was required was kindness and compassion,” she said.
“The actions and non-actions of both trusts contributed to Matty’s decline in mental health and his death.”
The inquest heard how Mx Sheldrick’s mental health deteriorated and they tried to kill and harm themselves while in hospital.
They were discharged on September 30 before calling an ambulance with further fears of suicide on November 2 to return to A&E, where they were assessed under the mental health act and a decision was made not to detain them.
Dr Robert Sparks, who did the assessment, said that it is well known that hospital environments such as short-stay wards can make a person’s mental health deteriorate.
“Every attempt should be made not to have people in hospital, particularly in that sort of environment,” he said.
Dr Sparks also said there was no hospital that Mx Sheldrick could be sent to, and that “mental health services are in crisis” but in hindsight, he would have detained them.
Ms Sheldrick said Mx Sheldrick’s family are “beyond heartbroken” at their death and that their “journey in life was so hard” and “suffered so much when reaching out to those he thought would support and protect him.”
She added that Mx Sheldrick told his brother: “He didn’t want to die, he wanted help.”
Mx Sheldrick’s GP Dr Sam Hall from WellBN told the hearing there is a “massive gap” in crisis provision relating to mental health, which is a system issue across the country.
“There is a gap people are falling into and I feel we’re all just fighting fires trying to keep people safe,” Dr Hall said.
The doctor also highlighted that people who are trans and have neurodivergence are often misunderstood and misinterpreted.
“Someone like Matty needs constant companionship to be able to navigate the world,” Dr Hall added.
Asked about describing Mx Sheldrick as a vulnerable person, Dr Hall said: “I would say that about anybody that is autistic, ADHD and trans.”
Mx Sheldrick, originally from Surrey, was described as a “kind, bright, creative, sensitive, gentle soul” and had “great hopes for the future, he really wanted to use all he had learned to help others”, according to their mother.
They performed spoken word and flooded social media with their artwork, Ms Sheldrick added, and began illustrating for a new group with the Clare Project in Brighton, a support group for trans and non-binary people, while living in the area.
Ms Sheldrick recalled Mx Sheldrick saying: “I really feel I have found my people here.”
The inquest continues.
– The Samaritans can be contacted on 116123 or email jo@samaritans.org
The loss of life is always something we should mourn, although the story is not an unfamiliar one.
Sad story but it does appear that this person might have been committed for their own good at the time. I have to ask if the trans status influenced the decision to not commit?
I highly doubt it. Because of the decline of MH services and facilities, the threshold to commit someone is really high. Also, suicide idealation doesn’t remove capacity either, so you couldn’t force someone against their will in this situation either.
There’s a real gap in our services when it comes to mental health.
Does RSCH have community patient liaison workers with say lived experience working in these hospitals? Neutral and Separate from Sussex Partnership Trust Mental Health Workers?
I am just reading the background here and it seems something like this with real people possibly trans in this case who could be there to support people whilst in the hospital environment and maybe even prior to prevent hospitalisation. Seems like the care provided did not meet the standard, Drs can blame workloads, but in reality do we have enough mental health staff with real lived experience…?
I dont think a trans mental heath Doctor living with autism would have made those same errors and left that patient, who in desperation went outside the hospital and hung themselves!!
I think the trans part is not the biggest thing at play. When anyone presents with extreme behavioural issues that could move into self harm they can be sectioned. The causes of the behaviour come later after they are put in a safe environment where analysis and hopefully cause identified and treatment can begin. But none of us were there…
It’s hard to say if a specifically trans mental health doctor would have made much of a difference, I think personally the fact that Matty was trans doesn’t have much to do with this.
Mental health facilities all over the world seem to have this issue of impatient, sometimes outright sadistic staff treating patients like rubbish, making their mental health worse and causing suicides and this even extends into other types of care like old people’s homes.
Not trying to let anyone off the hook because this absolutely should not happen but you hear of these same stories everywhere for over a century now, it makes me wonder what the real solution is because I’m not even sure you can blame NHS or NHS funding for something like this. It just seems like the completely wrong people are constantly put in charge of the most vulnerable.
My thoughts go out to Matty’s closest, what a tragic situation nobody should find themselves in, much less still have to deal with the fallout nearly 2 years later.
There’s a huge issue in Brighton with capacity generally when it comes to mental healthcare provision; I think it is compounded by the demographics of Brighton having groups that are intrinsically at higher risk. I think the best learning we can take from this is to be kind to people, and if you have the passion, time, and ability for it, do something that makes your community a bit better, a bit brighter.
At least, that’s what I intend to do. I know advocating for vulnerable homeless is something you do regularly Daniel, and something that should be applauded. Bit of an inspiration for me to do better, you are.
The article states that it..(sheldrick) left hospital and hung “themselves”..
Wtf…I thought it was alone.. either way seems like it/ she.. messed up …..
I’m curious as to if it was a slow death or nice and quick without issue.??
Pls advise….
Jesus christ what on earth is wrong with you.
What a morally repugnant thing to say. Only behind the anonymity of the internet could you ever say something like that, what a tiny person you are. I don’t say things that this often, but you are truly pathetic.
There really need to be serious investigations into some of these mental health trusts.
my trans son has taken himself to brighton for help with his mental health so often and just gets sent home every time they assess him and say you seem fine its best to to go home, they assume hes depressed because hes trans and that they cant help him. it makes me so angry and very sad. this story makes me scared that this will happen to my son one day.