Son calls for better protection for patients after dad's suicide at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton

The family of a man who died after leaving his ward at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton have renewed their calls for improvements in mental health care and site safety, following the conclusion of the inquest into his death.

Black Country Coroners Court had heard how James White from Wednesfield was experiencing significant mental health difficulties when he died in October 2024 after he left his hospital bed and accessed the roof of the Heart and Lung Centre through a maintenance access door, which provided a route not intended for patient use.

After spending time near the edge, the 88-year-old climbed over and fell from height and while resuscitation efforts were not successful, it was recognised that his injuries were extremely severe.

Speaking at the end of the one-day inquest at Black Country Coroners Court, Mr White’s family called for swift action to improve mental health assessment pathways, patient monitoring, communication between teams and site safety at New Cross Hospital.

James’ son, Peter White, said: “After nearly 18 months of investigations, we are relieved that the circumstances surrounding our dad’s death have finally been examined in full.

“As a family, we believe that earlier recognition of the risks he was facing, stronger support and more robust safety measures for vulnerable patients could make a real difference.

“While we understand the Coroner’s conclusions, hearing about the missed opportunities identified during his care has been incredibly difficult for us.

“We hope the Trust now follows through with the improvements it says it has made, so that no other family experiences a loss like this.

“Our only aim is to ensure that lessons are learned and that patients struggling with their mental health are better protected in the future.”

The court had heard how James White was admitted to New Cross Hospital in October 2024 after attempting to take his own life and underwent surgery for his injuries later that day before being transferred to Ward B7, a head and neck surgical ward, during the evening.

During his admission, Mr White experienced confusion and a deterioration in his mental health, with his family saying they had raised concerns about his safety and wellbeing during this period and have called for clearer communication and stronger safeguards for patients in similar circumstances.

Talbots Law’s Rajni Kandola, who represented the family at the inquest, said: “The inquest process examined several issues around Mr White’s care and highlighted areas where learning has been identified.

“Although the Coroner concluded that these matters did not cause or contribute to Mr White’s death, they nevertheless raise important patient-safety considerations.

“The family’s focus has always been on ensuring that learning is taken forward, particularly for patients who are vulnerable and at risk, and we hope this case contributes to continued improvement.”

A spokeswoman for The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust said: “We offer our sincere condolences to Mr White’s family and loved ones.

“We involved his family in our investigation, and we co-operated with the coroner’s inquest procedures, which reached a short-form conclusion of suicide”