A DOCTOR at a Hampshire psychiatric hospital denied knowing that a teenage patient who died when he was hit by a train had talked about killing himself.

Schoolboy George Werb was allowed home just hours after being given an anti-depressant tablet – despite having suffered a previous adverse reaction to the drug, an inquest heard.

Hours later his body was found by railway tracks 45 minutes’ walk from his family home, having been hit by a train travelling at 75mph, the hearing was told.

Psychiatrist Dr Carlos Hoyos, who was caring for George at the Priory Hospital near Marchwood, denied being told about the teenager’s suicidal thoughts during a phone call with his worried parents just three days before George’s death.

He said: “I don’t remember that. I remember they were telling me he was getting worse and the medication was making him worse. I wish I could say I have it in writing but I don’t.”

It emerged at the hearing that Dr Hoyos had not been keeping clinical notes – although he said that this had not affected George’s care.

However, assistant coroner Lydia Brown pointed out that George’s mum and dad, Joanne and Justin, had kept detailed notes listing their concerns about their son, the main one being about his suicidal feelings.

She said: “You didn’t take notes at the time, doctor.

“I am really struggling with the concept.”

Dr Hoyos said during this time he was the only psychiatrist working on the busy unit, which also takes NHS patients.

He said he had been single- handedly running the unit and in the weeks leading up to George’s death there had been a surge of admissions.

“I felt it didn’t allow for a lot of things that should have been happening that weren’t happening, like note keeping, or audit, leadership or development,” he told the inquest in Exeter.

Lawyers for George’s family claim the Priory Hospital failed to carry out a risk assessment when they allowed the teenager home the day before his death.

The court heard how George had suffered from depression for the past year and had developed delusions that he was suffering from ailments and diseases. When he was given anti-depressants, the inquest was told he started worrying about side-effects which he had been researching online.

The coroner’s court also heard how while at the Priory Hospital, George had repeatedly talked about killing himself, had drawn pictures depicting suicide and had even made an attempt.

Giving evidence, his mum Joanne said that days before his death she read a note by George expressing his worry about the effect medication was having on him.

Mrs Werb told the court she had raised concerns about this with Dr Hoyos.

She said: “We did tell him that George was suicidal. But he did not want to discuss it. We felt he had not listened to what we had tried to say to him.”

The court heard how George had been sectioned and referred to the Hythe Road hospital so that doctors could stabilise his failing mental health.

George was found dead the morning after being allowed home to Devon. The inquest was due to continue today.