THERE could have been an opportunity to help a man who died after being struck by a train, an inquest heard.

The senior coroner for Hampshire, Christopher Wilkinson, said options were available to help Pawal Stanislaw Lopata in the months before he died close to the level crossing in Mount Pleasant Road, on September 8 last year.

Mr Lopata, of Derby Road, was taken to Southampton General Hospital on July 23 after he was found by police drunk and talking about ending his life by jumping off the Itchen Bridge.

But the 39-year-old absconded and was tracked down by officers who took him to St Mary’s Surgery, where he was a patient.

An inquest into his death at Winchester Coroner’s Court heard that he was seen by Dr Imma Ros and told the GP that he felt suicidal, and the Southern Health crisis team were contacted.

Dr Ros said: “I remember them telling me that they couldn’t accommodate him, they were fully booked.

“I decided if I could explore more with him whether I could find a safe environment for him on the day.”

Two of Mr Lopata’s friends were called and Dr Ros added: “The two friends told me that if there were any concerns, they would let me know. I thought he was in a safe environment so at that point I didn’t call anybody else.”

Mr Lopata’s mental health had been declining for a year, with an outlook that his cerebral palsy was “ruining his life” and he was experiencing unrequited love and loneliness.

The hearing was told that information should have been dispatched of the lorry driver’s involvement with the ambulance service and 111.

However, this did not arrive until the following day and was not presented to Dr Ros.

Coroner Mr Wilkinson said that he has been in contact with the clinical commissioning group on another matter regarding 111 and reports being sent in a “timely manner”.

Dr Ros said the surgery was implementing a new process to “ensure patient safety and to [make sure] this is not going to happen again”.

Mr Wilkinson responded by saying Dr Ros’s options were “limited”, however there was the opportunity for a follow up which was “missed in these circumstances”.

He added: “It was an opportunity for him to be able to come under mental health services, opportunity for further scope and treatment.”

Mr Wilkinson said that this “may or may not have made a difference”, but on at around 11.30pm on September 8 Mr Lopata travelled to the railway line where he walked onto the tracks and “held his hands over his face” before being hit by a train.

Closing the inquest Mr Wilkinson concluded that Mr Lopata’s death was suicide.

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