Hospitals involved in the care of a new mother and baby found dead after vanishing from a maternity unit have been asked by a coroner to spell out how they applied guidelines on the treatment of mothers with mental health issues.
Charlotte Bevan, 30, disappeared from St Michael’s maternity unit in Bristol with her four-day-old daughter, Zaani Tiana Bevan Malbrouck, earlier this month, sparking a huge police search.
Bevan, who is believed to have had mental health problems, walked out into the freezing night on 2 December without a coat, wearing hospital slippers and carrying the baby wrapped in a blanket.
At a brief inquest opening in Flax Bourton, near Bristol, the assistant coroner Dr Peter Harrowing was told that the bodies of mother and child, from Clifton in Bristol, were found close together in the Avon Gorge, around two miles from the maternity unit, on 3 and 4 December respectively.
The inquest heard that Bevan was identified by an uncle and Zaani by her hospital wristbands. Postmortems have been carried out but more tests are needed.
Bevan’s GP, the University Hospitals Bristol NHS foundation trust – which runs St Michael’s hospital – and the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS trust, who had dealings with the new mother, have all been asked to prepare reports for the full inquests, which are expected to take place in April.
Harrowing said the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) had just updated its guidelines for health professionals working with pregnant women at risk of mental health problems.
“I think it is important that we ensure that both the mental health partnership and the University Hospitals Bristol address those guidelines in the reports they prepare,” he said. “They should be able to provide information and evidence of how those guidelines were applied in respect of Charlotte Bevan.”
The assistant coroner said there would be “separate and distinct” inquests into the deaths of the mother and daughter.
Adjourning the hearing, Harrowing added: “The family are not in attendance at this opening but they are fully aware of today’s hearing and understandably chose not to attend.”
A funeral for Bevan and Zaani will be held at Christ Church in Clifton at 1pm on Friday. Her family has asked those attending to wear bright clothing and not to bring any cut flowers. A private cremation will take place for family only following the funeral.
Paying tribute after the deaths, Bevan’s mother, Rachel Fortune, said: “My beautiful daughter and granddaughter are now at peace.”
The University Hospitals Bristol NHS trust has launched a review into the care given to Bevan and her child. It is believed that Bevan had suffered from schizophrenia and depression. Investigators will look at whether she may have made changes to medication she was taking so she could breastfeed her baby.
Coincidentally, on Wednesday Nice released new guidelines saying women at risk of mental health problems or with existing conditions should receive more support at every stage of pregnancy and after childbirth.
According to the new guidelines, potential mothers-to-be with new, existing or past mental health problems should be advised on how pregnancy and childbirth could affect their mental wellbeing. Mental health professionals should provide detailed advice on benefits or risks to a woman, foetus or baby associated with drug treatments at each stage of pregnancy.
