Matthew Dunham, 25, was suffering from depression when he jumped from the shopping mall on May 9 2013.
His family and the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) have settled a claim out of court, lawyers said today, after the trust admitted failures “materially contributed to the deceased taking his own life”.
At an inquest in September 2013, Norfolk coroner William Armstrong said there were “fundamental deficiencies” in the trust’s care for Mr Dunham. The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide while suffering from mental disorder.
And Mr Armstrong made a number of recommendations to the NSFT.
Her lawyer Ben Ward, a medical negligence specialist with Ashton KCJ, said: “Matthew’s family feel passionately that the mental health service let Matthew down…
“It may be that the fatal flaws revealed by this case are due to lack of money and resources or it may be management structure.”
The trust admitted a breach of duty regarding failings in communication between its teams and in failing to provide an appointment more urgently.
NSFT’s director of nursing, Dr Jane Sayer, said: “Matthew’s family have our deepest sympathies and apologies for their loss. We are pleased that this matter has now been settled by the NHS Litigation Authority.”
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