Why was a dad-of-four in distress allowed to walk out of hospital to his death?
Police, the regional hospital trust, the Vic and Blackpool Council will all be ordered to answer questions on their role in his death
Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
The death of a father-of-four last year means that all of Lancashire Police, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Blackpool Victoria Hospital and Blackpool Council will be compelled to give evidence at a jury-overseen inquest.
Tom Boocock was able to walk out of the Vic’s A&E department despite telling police he was suicidal. Allegedly under surveillance, he was able to leave unnoticed. His body was found a few hundred metres from the hospital.
All those involved will be asked to explain what their role was in mitigating the risk to Mr Boocock’s wellbeing.
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Why was a dad-of-four in distress allowed to walk out of hospital to his death?
By Jamie Lopez
Two investigations will be carried out to examine how a dad-of-four was able to leave Blackpool Victoria Hospital and take his life after being sectioned.
Tom Boocock was not taken to a secure unit despite telling police he was suicidal in September but instead taken to the A&E department where he was able to exit unnoticed despite apparently being under police supervision.
An inquest into his death will be carried out next year in which his family will be able to ask for answers to a series of questions about his care in the hours before his death.
Unlike most inquests, this one will focus on the month leading to his death and is likely to be held in front of a jury, meaning its conclusions can be more critical.
Meanwhile, a separate investigation will be carried out before that by Blackpool Safeguarding Adult Board (BSAB) to identify any failings by the various services who dealt with Tom.
A pre-inquest review was held at Blackpool Town Hall last week and heard that Tom, 39, had told a friend he intended to end his life in September 2025 during a mental health crisis.
The friend alerted police when Tom left the address suddenly and informed them of a location he had mentioned.
Louise Rae, assistant coroner for Blackpool and Fylde, explained that police were able to find Tom who presented himself to officers and willingly came with them.
Due to concerns over his wellbeing, Tom was detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act but rather than a secure unit such as The Harbour, he was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s A&E department.
At around 3.15am, roughly three hours after he was detained, Tom left the hospital. At 10am the following day, he was found dead just a few hundred metres from the hospital.
