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Thetford man Kieron Buxton found hanged just hours after attending West Suffolk Hospital A&E for help with mental health




A Thetford man was found hanged just hours after he attended a Suffolk hospital asking for help with his deteriorating mental health.

Kieron Buxton, 22, was discovered in his supported accommodation flat in London Road at around 9.40pm on May 31 last year.

He spent the next two days in West Suffolk Hospital intensive care unit where he was diagnosed with brain injuries but, on June 2, the decision was made to turn off his life support.

Kieron Buxton, 22, was discovered in his supported accommodation flat in London Road in Thetford
Kieron Buxton, 22, was discovered in his supported accommodation flat in London Road in Thetford

Coroner Nigel Parsley found Kieron died of a brain injury caused by hanging, and contributed to in some way by bipolar disorder.

During an inquest into his death today, his mother Anne Buxton said she felt more could have been done to help her son.

At around 6pm on the evening of May 31, Kieron had been seen by clinicians at the same Bury St Edmunds hospital where he voiced worries about his mental health and requested medication.

During an inquest into his death today, his mother Anne Buxton said she felt more could have been done to help her son
During an inquest into his death today, his mother Anne Buxton said she felt more could have been done to help her son

He told a clinical nurse specialist, that he had struggled with his mental health since he was 15 and spoke of issues with housing and relationships and the recent loss of his dad which had led him to a sense of hopelessness.

During the assessment, Kieron also received news that his aunt had just died.

In the hearing, the specialist said Kieron's case was unusual, as there was no evidence of him having reached out for help from secondary care teams before in their system, and she described his mental illness as a chronic problem that would need a course of treatment and therapy in the community.

She and her colleague decided to give Kieron two diazepam to take home with him to calm his anxiety and help him sleep, and made a referral for a community team to get in contact with him the next day to begin a treatment plan, which he agreed to.

She said the decision was made not to keep Kieron in hospital following a professional discussion between her and her colleagues, as it was the least restrictive option, he had full capacity and understanding of what was going on and he did not appear to be unsafe at the time.

When asked if she would have done anything differently, the specialist said: "On the information we had at the time this was the best plan."

Following this trip to A&E, Kieron spoke to support workers at his accommodation who offered to call a crisis number for him, but he declined. He was last seen at 8.45pm when he left the reception area and went up to his flat.

In a statement Kieron's mother Anne Buxton said he would light up any room just by walking in and added that he had been very happy as a child.

She said: "I feel if more had been done in the very beginning Kieron would still be with us today."

Coroner Nigel Parsley found the medical cause of Kieron's death was brain injury caused by hanging contributed to in some way by bipolar disorder.

He ruled the death was a suicide and passed on his condolences to Kieron's mother and family.

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