London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Psychiatrist tells inquest he regrets not giving Gaia Pope mental health referral

Psychiatrist tells inquest he regrets not giving Gaia Pope mental health referral

Dorset teenager was discharged from hospital without community support a few weeks before her death
A psychiatrist has expressed regret for discharging the Dorset teenager Gaia Pope from hospital just weeks before her death without community mental health support, an inquest heard.

Dr Peter Jeffery completed a Mental Health Act assessment on 19-year-old Pope on 22 October 2017 after police took her to Poole hospital with what appeared to be psychotic symptoms. He decided she did not require admission to a psychiatric unit and instead she was sent home, Dorset coroner’s court heard on Thursday.

On 7 November, Pope vanished from Swanage. Her body was found 11 days later on cliff tops in undergrowth. She had died from hypothermia.

The college student, who suffered from severe epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder, had been experiencing “ongoing manic episodes” and was deeply worried about the imminent release from prison of the man she had accused of raping her.

Pope was taken to Poole hospital after making threats, suffering hallucinations and seeing blue spots in front of her eyes. In hospital she was aggressive to staff and “hyper-manic”.

Jeffery told the hearing in Bournemouth that before discharging her, he did not discuss with Pope community-based support, such as therapy services, that she could access, or speak properly with her uncle, with whom she was staying.

He said: “There are two regrets I have from this particular case. One is that I didn’t discuss with the uncle the insight we gained throughout the day – I think that would have been incredibly helpful.

“I think there was the opportunity to refer her back to [the community mental health service] Steps2Wellbeing and I have to acknowledge that didn’t happen, and that was an omission.”

Jeffery told the inquest he concluded that the teenager’s presentation that day was linked to her epilepsy and the result of a seizure and he prescribed her the anti-anxiety drug diazepam for seven days to help with the condition.

Sarah Clarke QC, counsel to the inquest, said this was the fourth time in two years that Pope had been seen by psychiatric services, including being sectioned under the Mental Health Act earlier in 2017.

“She is 18 years old and she is now in hospital again with what appears to be psychotic symptoms and although she has not been sectioned, she has gone through another Mental Health Act assessment,” Clarke said.

Jeffery also said that despite knowing she was under the care of neurologists in London and Dorset, he did not speak to them. “I think there was a working assumption Gaia was being considered for surgery and was actively engaged in that process,” he said. “We could have communicated with neurologists our assessment and added value to their understanding.”

He added: “I think the missed opportunities here were that we could have reassessed the link between Gaia and the Steps2Wellbeing service for consideration of trauma-based work.

“There was a real opportunity to liaise with the neurologists, and I think I could have added real value by speaking directly with the neurologists.”

The inquest continues.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×