A PSYCHIATRIC patient was found hanging at his Tottenham home the day after his community nurse declined a home visit because "there was no immediate risk" of self harm, an inquest heard .o

Bernard Joseph McMorrow57, a former carpenter was discovered hanging from a loft trap near a ladder by his son-in-law on Tuesday, June 26 at his home in Vartry Road, Hornsey Coroner's Court was told on Friday.

Mr McMorrow was under the care of the Kate Marsden day centre in Tottenham having been discharged as an in-patient from St Ann' s Hospital on June 5. He had failed to attend the centre on the Monday because his daughter Jennifer explained he had not slept all night.

Miss McMorrow, of Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill, said that on the Sunday her father's eyes had been "popping out of his head" and he was very nervous about leaving the house.

On Monday she made a phone call to a community nurse at St Ann's Hospital to tell her her father had been hallucinating.

But the nurse, having telephoned Mr McMorrow, decided there was no need to visit.

Later that evening Miss McMorrow spoke to her father on the telephone and he told her he felt a bit better. But she told the inquest her father had been conditioned to say that he was not suicidal even if he felt like taking his own life as part of his treatment. She had also been instructed to curtail her twice daily visits in the interests of her father's rehabilitation and restrict her calls to three times a week.

Gordon Leybourne said when he took a meal to Mr McMorrow on Monday he was acting out of the ordinary and the following morning he found him dead.

Dr Chris Burford, consultant psychiatrist for Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, said Mr McMorrow was admitted to St Ann's in April. ''Things accelerated when his daughter sent a very strong fax alerting us to her concerns. Her view was that that care plan was quite inadequate.''

Consultant psychiatrist Dr William Smith, who was responsible for Mr McMorrow at the Kate Marsden day centre, said he was satisfied the patient was not suicidal at his last appointment the Friday before he died.

He wrote in his report that a home visit was requested from the community nurse on June 25 but the message relayed from the nurse was that she was very happy with his progress.

Coroner Dr William Dolman said: "On the Friday before the events it is clear that the staff in the unit were impressed by his attitude and a phone call on the Monday was made to a community nurse who had previously cared for him."

Recording an open verdict, Dr Dolman added: "It is quite clear that the two consultant psychiatrists were shocked and surprised at the turn of events."