A Gateshead man died by suicide after expressing “hopelessness” about accessing specialist NHS care for severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), an inquest has heard. Scott Taylor, 49, had treatment-resistant OCD at the time of his death in May 2023 and faced a waiting list of more than 12 months for care that was only available in London.
Inquest finds death was suicide
Assistant coroner for Gateshead and South Tyneside James Thompson concluded in July that Mr Taylor’s death was suicide. During the inquest, the coroner heard that Mr Taylor had been referred for specialist care, but at the time of his death the only centre able to provide this treatment was in London, with a waiting list exceeding 12 months.
Mr Thompson wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care raising concerns about the lack of any “tertiary centre” for OCD treatment outside London and the South East, where all five such centres are located. He stated: “Mr Taylor at the time of his death was suffering with a profound and long standing mental illness. It was diagnosed as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He was receiving treatment in the community, but he had also been treated as an in patient. His condition was resistant to treatment at the time of his death.”
Concerns over specialist care access
The coroner noted that referrals to tertiary services depend on patients completing a certain amount of treatment in primary and secondary settings before a referral can be accepted. He said: “It was heard in evidence that at the time of Mr Taylor’s death, had he been successful in accessing this centre, there was a waiting list of over 12-15 months before treatment could begin.”
Mr Thompson added that Mr Taylor, two days before his death, had expressed feelings of hopelessness due to the inability to access specialist treatment and the timescales involved. As of July this year, the coroner noted that only a small number of tertiary centres able to care for patients with treatment-resistant OCD exist in the United Kingdom, all located in London and the South East.
NHS England responds
The Department of Health and Social Care passed the coroner’s letter to NHS England, whose national medical director responded: “I would like to express my deep condolences to Mr Taylor’s family and loved ones. NHS England is keen to assure the family and yourself that the concerns raised about Mr Taylor’s care have been listened to and reflected upon.”
The medical director confirmed that all five specialist centres were in London or the South East, with four in London itself. They said this distribution “is not a deliberate policy choice but reflects the availability of providers with the necessary expertise to deliver this highly specialised care.” They added that while this concentration allows for high-quality treatment from recognised centres of excellence, it may pose access challenges for patients in other regions.
However, the director said that due to the highly specialised nature of the service, it was “not feasible” to have treatment centres in every region or for the care to be delivered in other settings. They compared this to other specialist areas such as cancer treatment centres, neurosurgery and ophthalmology, “where the concentration of resources is necessary”.
