A Coronation Street production veteran took his own life as he struggled through lockdown.
Glyn Pattison, 64, who worked on Corrie for more than 30 years, suffered a number of personal difficulties that contributed towards a "increasingly low mood" in the months leading up to his suicide on May 21, 2020, an inquest heard.
Mr Pattison, from Harwood, Bolton, was the head of grips for ITV Granada - a qualified technician role in camera equipment, MEN Media reports.
An inquest into his death was held at Bolton Coroner's Court on Tuesday, which heard that he died just ten days after his 64th birthday on May 11 and had just celebrated his ruby wedding anniversary with wife Cheryl
A keen caravaner, Mr Pattison had also recently purchased a new motorhome but the start of the lockdown in March 2020 meant that it had remained parked on his driveway, coroner Simon Nelson heard.
Mr Pattison was furloughed from his job during the lockdown and was said to have had a series of financial worries regarding looking after his new caravan.
He had also recently lost a beloved family member as well as his dog Oscar, who was described as being his "best mate".
Mr Pattison's son, Ross, told the inquest his father didn't have a known history of mental health problems but he had started to notice a change in him in the months before his death.
Ross said: "When the lockdown hit, you could really notice a difference in the way he looked.
"You could tell there was a lot going on in his mind - he had lost a lot of weight and he looked like he had aged about ten years.
"He thought the world was coming to an end because of the lockdown.
"But he was still laughing and joking around. I remember we had a socially distanced meeting outside and I had brought him a corona beer as a joke."
On May 18, 2020, Mr Pattison was rushed to Royal Bolton Hospital after making a "serious attempt to end his life".
He was assessed by clinician Dr Arun Kallat and Dr Razia Hussain, a representative for the hospital’s mental health team.
Dr Kallat told the Coroner's Court that Mr Pattison demonstrated a low mood and was expressing his worries about money and his motorhome.
The doctor said Mr Pattison had initially been "reluctant" to continue with medical treatment but he eventually became cooperative.
The next day Dr Hussain had a "lengthy" discussion with Mr Pattison about his mental health.
Dr Hussain said Mr Pattison was "open and honest" about his struggles but said he was worried about getting coronavirus from being in hospital.
On May 20, Mr Pattison was discharged from hospital and taken back to his home.
He spoke to his lifelong friend Mark Davies and is reported to have said later that day that he had "told the doctors what they wanted to hear" as part of a "tick box exercise".
Mr Davies told the inquest: "He said he had to pay the mental health team a lip service and tell them what they wanted to hear."
Dr Hussain said she did not get the same impression from Mr Pattison, who the doctor said had expressed "remorse" for what he had done.
Dr Kallat had also checked in on Mr Pattison that day and said he felt he had "a change in character" from when he was first admitted.
Dr Kallat said: "He was more positive, he was making eye contact and discussing the possibility of taking antidepressants.
"He was very different, he was talking about how his son's wife was pregnant - he had something to look forward to."
The inquest heard how he had told doctors the earlier attempt was "spur of the moment" and he was looking forward to seeing his wife again.
The day after Mr Pattison had been discharged from hospital , he was involved in a disagreement with his wife.
When she was later admitted to hospital herself Mr Pattison had been left alone at his house.
His friends and family kept in touch with him as they attempted to find out what support he needed.
At around 6pm, Mr Davies attempted to visit Mr Pattison at home but he didn't pick up his phone calls.
He alerted his wife's mother, who then reached out to other family members.
Upon entering his house, Mr Pattison was found unresponsive and without a pulse.
"None of us felt he should have been left alone," Mr Davies said.
"I don't understand why, without consulting any of the family, he was discharged.
"If he had a bit more time, he might have been able to get to grips with how he was feeling."
Coroner Mr Nelson asked whether it was "standard procedure" to discharge someone from hospital with just a "phone number" for support.
Dr Hussain said: "He was offered support but he said he didn't need to speak to a psychiatrist, he would be okay after he had spoken with his wife.
"His mental health had changed, he felt remorse for what he had done and he had not raised any concerns with me.
"He would not have been discharged had there been any doubts."
When asked if she would do anything differently in hindsight, Dr Hussain said: "I would have provided more reassurance from the patient and the family as well to see if they have any different views.
"I would now contact the family in every case if I had the permission from a patient to do so."
The coroner concluded that he felt Mr Pattison had been appropriately discharged from hospital but agreed that "contact with one or more family members prior to his discharge may have altered the outcome".
Mr Nelson said it was "difficult" to pinpoint what had triggered his mental health difficulties, but that it had potentially been a combination of things.
Mr Pattison's cause of death was concluded as "suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed".
No suspicious circumstances or third party involvement has been discovered by officers investigating the death.
Mr Pattison's son called his dad a "wonderful father, wonderful husband and a wonderful worker".
"He was highly respected and well-loved, he said. He was never one to just sit around and do nothing which is why he never retired.
"He was devoted to his job - it was a very big part of his life and work was very important to him."
In concluding, coroner Mr Nelson addressed Mr Pattinson's family to say: "I hope you, his family and his friends can reflect on Mr Pattinson's tremendous qualities over many, many years and for the duration of your life.
"He was industrious, he was beloved by those he worked with for decades, and he was a very fine character."
Speaking after the inquest, son Ross added: "It's been a really tough year for the family.
"It was an unnecessary death and there were some failings from the mental health team.
"We don't want to get anyone in trouble but we want to prevent further deaths and make sure these things don't happen again."
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
