Northern Ireland

Orlaith Quinn: Midwife told one-to-one supervision was not needed

Orlaith Quinn took her own life at Belfast's Royal Jubilee Maternity hospital on October 11 2018
Orlaith Quinn took her own life at Belfast's Royal Jubilee Maternity hospital on October 11 2018 Orlaith Quinn took her own life at Belfast's Royal Jubilee Maternity hospital on October 11 2018

A MIDWIFE on duty on the day a patient died by suicide said she was told the woman did not need one-to-one supervision.

Orlaith Quinn (33) died in the early hours of October 11 2018 at Belfast's Royal Jubilee Maternity hospital - two days after she gave birth to her third child.

Catherine Corr, a midwife who was on duty at the time of Mrs Quinn's death, told an inquest today that she had asked if Mrs Quinn needed to be under one-to-one supervision "because she had attempted suicide and had suicidal thoughts".

She said she was told Mrs Quinn did not need individual supervision.

The inquest has already heard that Dr Robert Boggs from the Belfast Health Trust's psychiatric assessment team, who had seen Mrs Quinn, had a working diagnosis of "obsessional neurosis".

He also made a "differential diagnosis of postpartum psychosis".

During a handover with another midwife, Ms Corr said she asked about postpartum psychosis.

However, she said the other midwife did not give her a "definitive diagnosis".

Ms Corr said she was assigned to beds in the latter half of the ward, which did not include Mrs Quinn's bed. But she said during any handover nurses are informed about all patients because they need to know about all patients.

Ms Corr said that at around 3am on October 11 2018 a fellow midwife told her Mrs Quinn and her husband and baby were asleep in their room.

At 3.25am, Mr Quinn came to her to say his wife was not in the room.

An hour later, Mrs Quinn was found dead in another part of the hospital.

Nurse Michelle Cardwell, who worked in the hospital's neonatal unit, said that while she was on a break in the early hours of October 11 she met Mrs Quinn in a corridor.

She asked Mrs Quinn, who was just wearing a nightdress, if she was okay.

"She was very calm and said she was just looking for a toilet," she said.

Midwife Melanie Cleland told the inquest she was informed during a handover that Mrs Quinn had been diagnosed with "obsessional neurosis".

She said a "differential diagnosis of postpartum psychosis" was not mentioned.

She said no one mentioned if Mrs Quinn needed one-to-one observation.

Lisa Darragh, a midwife who co-ordinates mental health services in the midwifery team, said she saw Mrs Quinn and her husband and mother on October 10 2018.

She said her role is as a co-ordinator and she has no input in diagnosis.

She said Dr Boggs told her he did not believe Mrs Quinn was "psychotic in any way... or suicidal at that time".

Earlier, psychiatric nurse John Casey said that following a referral he went with Dr Boggs to see Mrs Quinn the day before her death.

She had made three attempts on her life five days before the birth.

During one of the attempts, she lost consciousness. However, Mr Casey said he did not recall being told that.

He agreed that if he had known "it adds concern" (about Mrs Quinn's mental state).

Mr Casey told the inquest Mrs Quinn had mentioned to a midwife that her mood had deteriorated a month before the birth.

He said she "didn't take it that well" when he informed her that her mental health concerns meant that a social worker would need to address any possible child protection concerns.

But he said he tried to reassure her that the social worker's invention would "be for support".

Mr Casey said Mrs Quinn seemed excited to have a daughter and was looking forward to the future.

However, he agreed that an assessment should have been carried out on the potential risk to Mrs Quinn's daughter.

Mrs Quinn's husband Ciaran and mother Siobhan both gave evidence earlier in the inquest that Mrs Quinn had seemed delusional and manic on the day of the assessment.

Mr Casey said when Mrs Quinn entered the room she said: "It's okay now. I've talked about it, it's fine now."

It was put to Mr Casey that Mrs Quinn may not have been open about her symptoms because she did not want to upset her husband, who was present during the assessment.

Mr Casey agreed "in hindsight" that Mrs Quinn should have been spoken to on her own.

He agreed that "if there had been an opportunity", Mrs Quinn's husband and mother should also have been spoken to on their own.

The inquest continues.