A MENTAL health hospital has come under scrutiny again after a depressed mother who had been sent there for her own safety walked out and burned herself to death.

The family of Ranjit Dhariwal, 47, of Larch Close, Melksham, want to know why and how she was able to leave Green Lane Hospital in Devizes, after she had been sectioned for her own safety.

Mother-of-three Mrs Dhariwal died from 70 per cent burns after she walked out of the hospital and set fire to herself at home on September 30 last year. She was psychotic and suffering from depression.

An inquest hearing resumed at Salisbury coroner's court on Tuesday, after proceedings were adjourned from March 22 for her family to seek legal advice. In a statement to the court her husband Galbinda said: "It was always my understanding that she was in secure accommodation at Green Lane."

Coroner Richard Van Oppen said: "The question is why didn't they look after her? That is the issue." Mr Van Oppen made it clear he could not consider fault or blame.

Mrs Dhariwal's husband and son Davindar, who were in court with their lawyer John Czul, have not said whether they will take legal action.

The court heard how staff at Green Lane two senior members of staff were in court on Tuesday had not believed Mrs Dhariwal was considering suicide and had not noticed bruising around her neck.

After her husband spotted the bruises Mrs Dhariwal admitted she had tried to strangle herself with a piece of string while on the ward.

She was sectioned under the Mental Health Act on September 23, meaning she was no longer able to leave the hospital without permission, but a week later she had absconded, and was discovered at home in flames by Davindar.

Ward rules require a sectioned patient to apply to leave the hospital but patients are free to wander around the hospital and grounds, unless there is a risk they will escape. Staff believed there was nothing to suggest Mrs Dhariwal would try to leave.

The court heard how Mrs Dhariwal, whose daughter also has a psychotic illness, had disliked being in Green Lane and was reluctant to take her medicines.

Mr Van Oppen ruled Mrs Dhariwal had taken her own life while the balance of her mind was disturbed. Verdict:

suicide.

Malcolm Sinclair, director of mental health services for Wiltshire, said Mrs Dhariwal's death had caused great sadness to staff at the hospital and that a thorough investigation had taken place.

He said: "As a result of our review following Ranjit's death we are looking at what we can do to provide some more secure garden areas at Green Lane Hospital."

A spokesman added: "Our inpatient services at Green Lane aim to balance the safety of our patients with a need to give them back their rights and responsibilities, and to help them regain their confidence and independence as part of the recovery process.

"It would not be appropriate for our inpatient services at Green Lane to deny our patients access to the grounds by locking the wards."

She said the Trust was looking at whether there were any changes that could be made to the way they nurse patients assessed at high risk of self-harm but she said it would never be possible to eliminate risk altogether.

Green Lane blamed for tragic deaths

RANJIT Dhariwal's suicide is not the first to ring alarm bells about standards at Green Lane Hospital.

In the past three years it has been criticised in relation to at least five other patients:

March 2004: Fiona Gale, 29, from Sherston, took her own life just hours after she was discharged, when she was killed by a train. A jury concluded her threats to kill herself were not taken seriously enough by staff.

Feb 2004: Raymond Christie, of Kennedy Avenue, Melksham, hanged himself just two weeks after a psychiatric report from Green Lane said he no longer needed to stay on medication.

June 2003: Bob Griffiths, 39, of Church Farm, Woodborough, shot himself. He had been sectioned at Green Lane but had frequently absconded and returned home. His wife Liz called for more security for patients.

May 2002: Bryan Howells, 59, of Little Somerford, gassed himself in his car. He was a voluntary patient at Green Lane who had not been sectioned despite five suicide attempts. His family criticised the hospital for not sectioning him.

Jan 2002: Emily Farahar, 21, of The Green, Calne, who suffered from anorexia and depression, died of a heroin overdose in Trowbridge after staff at Green Lane Hospital allowed her to spend a weekend with friends. Her mother criticised their decision.