HOSPITAL staff were today blamed for contributing to the death of a 54-year-old woman who was 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 today, strongly criticised hospital 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 report blasted the move not to inform Mrs Horner that her husband was being discharged and said the decision "probably contributed to her tragic death".

Another criticism included the lack of involvement of consultant psychiatrist, Dr David Franks, whose policy was not to see patients during ward rounds.

The Horners' daughter, Michelle Wilkins, 32, who blasted the "catalogue of errors", said staff should face disciplinary action.

She said her 54-year-old mum, who was packing her bags to leave her husband, should have been told that Mr Horner was being discharged after spending almost three weeks on an acute psychiatric ward for "reactive depression", which had been caused by the marriage breakdown. After Mr Horner killed his wife at their home in Highercroft Road, Lower Darwen, last March, he telephoned the hospital to tell them what he had done. By the time officers arrived at the semi-detached house, about 40 minutes later, Mr Horner had hanged himself.

The report says that after taking Mr Horner's call, nursing staff carried on administering medications before contacting the police and paramedics.

Mrs Wilkins, who lives in Yorkshire, said: "There was a huge delay in contacting the emergency services. The nurses simply carried on giving out pills to other patients. It is appalling.

"My father should have had a primary nurse who was responsible for informing my mother, myself or my sister that he was being discharged."

John Thomas, chief executive of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, which runs the mental health unit, admitted that Mr Horner's in-patient care was "unsatisfactory" and apologised to his family.

He said: "I am confident that managers, medical staff and nursing staff will respond to the report in a positive way and learn lessons from this tragedy." Dr Franks insisted that Mr Horner's illness had been taken seriously and said that rigorous aftercare had been arranged for him.

He said: "The staff were in no dout that he would have difficulties when he was discharged."

Dr Franks said it was normal procedure for him to delegate his registrars to see patients.

East Lancashire Health Authority, which commissioned the independent report, said the development of mental health services remained a top priority.

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