HOSPITAL chiefs have revealed that no disciplinary action will be taken against staff for the catalogue of errors which led to a 54-year-old woman being strangled by her mentally ill husband.

Michael Horner, 52, throttled his wife Hazel with a coat belt and then hanged himself a day after he was sent home from a psychiatric ward at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn.

An independent inquiry, which was published yesterday, strongly criticised doctors and nurses for their part in the tragedy and ordered a 14-point action plan to improve procedures at the mental health unit.

The Horners' daughter Michelle Wilkins, 32, called for staff to be disciplined over the case.

But John Thomas, chief executive of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS trust, said disciplinary action against staff was not "appropriate". He said: "The trust has considered this carefully and we decided that we should support staff in a positive and constructive manner.

"We did not feel that disciplinary action was appropriate."

The inquiry said hospital staff "probably contributed" to the death of Mrs Horner by failing to inform her that her husband was being discharged. He had spent three weeks on an acute psychiatric ward suffering from "reactive depression".

It also criticised the lack of involvement of consultant psychiatrist Dr David Franks whose policy was not to see patients during ward rounds. The action plan will include the rewriting of the contract between the hospital and East Lancashire Health Authority to allow for strict monitoring of the service.

It will also give patients the right to see a consultant within a week of admission and at intervals of not less than six weeks.

Other action includes:

The issuing of cards for patients with a history of self harm with information on how to obtain help in a crisis.

To establish 24-hour on-call community psychiatric nurse service.

To implement a risk assessment programme.

To introduce a check list to record who is notified about discharge arrangements and by whom.

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