Hospital Doctor's Tragic Death After NHS Ketamine Funding Withdrawn
A hospital doctor who took her own life after her NHS funding for ketamine treatment was stopped had resorted to purchasing medication on the dark web, a coroner's inquest has revealed. Dr Suzanne Parker, a 37-year-old medic with a history of mental ill health dating back to her early teens, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Treatment-Resistant Depression and Ketamine Therapy
In 2022, Dr Parker was referred by her psychiatrist to a ketamine scheme designed for patients with treatment-resistant depression. The doctor, who had worked in the older person's medical department at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and as a clinical teaching fellow at the University of East Anglia, received low doses of ketamine both orally and through intravenous infusions.
However, her local clinical commissioning group – now replaced by integrated care boards – ceased payment after just three sessions. This forced Dr Parker to begin self-funding the treatment, which she eventually stopped altogether due to financial concerns about the ongoing costs.
Dark Web Purchases and Final Days
In September 2024, police attended Dr Parker's home in Eaton, Norfolk, after concerns were raised about her welfare. Her body was discovered at the property, with a post-mortem examination determining she had died from asphyxiation due to nitrous oxide inhalation.
Following a two-day inquest, coroner Johanna Thompson announced she would be writing to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to highlight the benefits of ketamine treatment. Concluding that Dr Parker died by suicide, Ms Thompson stated: 'I shall be communicating to indicate the use of ketamine by Suzanne in relation to her condition and the benefits that she found that had been described in the inquest.'
Hospital Discharge Criticised
The doctor's mother, Danielle Fairey, criticised the decision to allow her daughter to leave Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital just one day after she was admitted following an overdose on September 16, 2024 – less than a week before her death. Ms Fairey expressed her belief that her daughter 'would have been saveable, had the people who discharged her from hospital acted differently in those crucial days.'
The inquest heard that Dr Parker's mental health struggles began after she injured herself on a trampoline at age 13. Following this accident, she developed transient ischaemic attacks, or mini-strokes, caused by temporary disruptions to blood flow to the brain. Shortly after this diagnosis, she began self-harming and took her first overdose.
Complex Medical History and Treatment Journey
Her GP, Dr Louise Francis of the UEA Medical Centre, told the hearing that Dr Parker had a 'complex' medical history with ongoing concerns including an eating disorder and her 2010 bipolar diagnosis. In February 2022, she began ketamine treatment with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust following a referral.
Professor Rupert McShane, who leads the service, explained that while three of the £200 sessions had been funded by her local CCG, she subsequently had to pay for them herself until stopping completely in May 2024. The coroner was informed that had Dr Parker been a resident of Oxford, the NHS funding would have continued uninterrupted.
Mental Health Decline and Final Treatment
A relapse in Dr Parker's mental health followed the cessation of treatment, with the doctor describing feeling 'hopeless for the future and isolated.' Her concerns included funding her treatment, job security, and the health of her cats. She paid for a final ketamine infusion on September 11, 2024, with the doctor who performed the procedure noting that a graph she produced to show her symptoms revealed a 'gradual decline' since stopping treatment six months earlier.
Coroner Thompson commented: 'Professor McShane's evidence had been that further treatment would have been needed for the benefit to have been derived from restarting the ketamine. In his evidence he was unequivocal about the positive benefits of ketamine therapy in reducing suicidality in patients with treatment resistant conditions, such as Suzy had.'
Dark Web Access and Academic Achievements
Victoria Kelly, a friend who visited Dr Parker in hospital, told the inquest: 'She told me she had taken medication that she managed to purchase on the dark web. I have no idea how Suzy managed to access the dark web, or had learned how to access it, but I felt that she had found it thrilling to do so.' Police discovered her body just five days later, on September 22.
Dr Parker was a gifted academic who achieved a first-class degree in philosophy and English literature at the University of East Anglia in 2008, followed by an MPhil from the University of Cambridge. She returned to UEA and graduated from Norwich Medical School before embarking on her medical career.
Mental Health Advocacy Legacy
While studying medicine, Dr Parker co-founded Headucate, a student society dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues and running educational workshops. The charity said after her death: 'Her incredible and inspiring mission to destigmatise mental health has made a huge impact on many university students and young people.'
In a tribute, her mother described her as 'bright, intelligent, loving, caring, passionate with an incredible sense of humour.' At the conclusion of the inquest, Ms Thompson expressed her 'most sincere condolences' to Dr Parker's family, stating: 'I am very, very sorry for your loss.'
