Teenager found dead near hospital she’d left just an hour before body discovery

Teenager found dead near hospital she’d left just an hour before (Image: FACEBOOK) A teenage girl died just an hour after receiving treatment at a hospital, an inquest has heard. Evelin Chacko, 16, was found dead in a wooded area near the Royal Bolton Hospital on July 13, 2020. The youngster was admitted fewer than two weeks prior, on July 1, after she suffered an overdose at her family home in Farnworth. An inquest into her death held at Bolton Coroners’ Court heard that Miss Chacko was admitted to A&E and transferred to the hospital’s C2 ward the next day. Coroner Alan Walsh heard the ward – which caters to adult complex care – was “inappropriate” for the teen, who suffered from a “long history” of “suicidal ideation”. The Manchester Evening News doctors said C2 was a “place of safety”, Miss Chacko’s family claimed there were “systemic failures” at “every stage” prior to her death. The court heard that the teenager’s mother, Valsamma John, called an ambulance after her daughter said she had taken an overdose. She was taken to the hospital and processed through A&E to ward C2, but ward consultant Dr Geraldine Donnelly said she was not aware of the full extent of her mental health history. Miss Chacko was diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, and the court further heard that she had previously “threatened” to kill herself during disagreements with loved ones. Dr Donnelly said she had tried to contact Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) several times in the three days before she died. She told the court she didn’t feel there “was an adequate risk assessment and plan in place for levels of observation” on Ward C2. And she said she had raised concerns about the youngster’s health but felt they were not listened to. During her stay at the ward, Miss Chacko had left and returned home on three occasions, returning to the hospital each time, as she was “free to come and go” without monitoring from July 5. She left the hospital at around 2pm on the day she died, which was “not unusual” for the teenager, who often went outside for a cigarette. CCTV footage showed she was walking “alone” in a wooded area at 2.11pm. Police found her body at around 3pm on July 13, and the inquest heard that data taken from her phone showed she had googled terms relating to suicide before she died. The inquest continues. The Samaritans can be reached round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on the phone. You can reach them by calling 116 123, by emailing   jo@samaritans.org   or by visiting   www.samaritans.org .