2 days ago
'Inspiring' hospital chaplain dies as tributes paid to 'passionate and compassionate' woman
Reverend Captain Katie Watson has been described as a "unique, inspiring, passionate and compassionate" person who had touched thousands of lives.
A popular hospital chaplain died just a month after being discharged from an inpatient mental health ward where she had been "treading water" for months, an inquest heard.
Reverend Captain Katie Watson has been described by her partner Dr Emily Watson as a "unique, inspiring, passionate and compassionate" person who had touched thousands of lives. Capt Watson, who was an ordained deacon, appeared in the Channel 4 documentary Geordie Hospital and through her work at the RVI and the Freeman Hospitals she had become a much-loved local figure before her death on September 20 last year.
The show, which highlighted work at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital during the later periods of the Covid-19 pandemic, featured her on the wards supporting colleagues and patients, along with welfare dogs Poppy Jingles and Fern. As reported by the Chronicle, acting senior coroner Karin Welsh heard at the inquest how Rev'd Capt Watson's mental health had worsened through 2023 and she had struggled with issues including suicidal ideation.
Welsh ruled In her conclusion that Rev'd Capt Watson's death was suicide. In her remarks, however, the coroner added that Rev'd Capt Watson had been absent from work due to her mental health for a period in late 2022, and then again from October 2023 - this latter absence followed a colleague's death. She had also experienced an interpersonal issue at work which contributed to her stress.
Welsh also referred to how Rev'd Capt Watson had not had a named psychologist for a seven week period during her time as an inpatient- but said it would be "conjecture" to draw any firm conclusions about the impact this would have had on her discharge from hospital - or when that might have been. Another issue saw details of a discharge letter shared with Rev'd Capt Watson via the NHS App, causing her distress as elements of her "formulation" had not be discussed with her.
Welsh also said she could "understand the position that Katie was treading water" when on the ward, rather than making progress with regard to her recovery. She added that issues at work had "clearly caused Katie distress" but added: "In my view these issues were managed appropriately by the trust."
The coroner paid tribute to Rev'd Capt Watson, saying: "As an army captain, but then Chaplain Katie had great empathy for those she was involved with at work, where she went above and beyond."
She said that "underlying issues" appeared to have come to the fore - and added: "In short, although some elements of her care could have been done differently, it's my view this would not have altered the outcome for Katie. Therefore my conclusion must be one of suicide."
Acting senior coroner Welsh added that those she worked with in pathology had spoken highly of Rev'd Capt Watson - and that she was described as "exceptionally helpful" in complex and difficult cases involving the deaths of children.
Following the inquest, Dr Watson paid a moving tribute. She said: "Katie was a unique, inspiring, passionate and compassionate person who touched the lives of thousands of people. I am very grateful for the many hundreds of cards and messages I received when she died, and all the stories of how her ministry supported people at some of their darkest times. It is desperately sad that she wasn't able to see for herself how loved she was, and I am sorry that mental health services in their current condition were not able to help her. She is deeply missed by us all."
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The inquest earlier evidence both from the psychiatric consultants - employed by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust - who were responsible for Rev'd Capt Watson's care in hospital and in the community. Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust joint medical director Dr Michael Wright also gave evidence as to the issues experienced at work.
Dr Wright said: "It's of immense concern to me and many others that a member of staff - one of our members of staff most valued by others - clearly at times did not feel that way. We have all reflected as to whether we did all we could to make her feel valued and [to show her] quite how important she was to our organisation. Procedures and processes were followed but does that mean there isn't anything we can learn from this? Absolutely not."
He agreed that Revd Capt Watson was a "huge miss" and said work was ongoing to embed an NHS England "toolkit" designed to prevent NHS staff from dying due to suicide. The inquest had heard how her "exceptionally high standards" may have put herself under significant strain, while psychiatrists also referred to her experience of trauma during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In court, Dr Watson queried why the trauma that her partner had experienced was not considered a greater factor in her diagnostic "formulation" while an inpatient - which instead focussed on "personality traits" and "emotionally unstable personality disorder". It was an element of this diagnosis was mentioned in a letter that one of Rev'd Capt Watson's consultants had not realised would be uploaded to her NHS App - and this caused her "significant distress" in the weeks prior to her death.
However, Dr Faheem Ahmad said the opinion of staff at the inpatient ward during her months-long admission had been that Capt Watson's struggles were focussed around situations at her workplace and her "anger" at those. Dr Rachael Hall spoke in court to say she had not realised this would be the case and had made an urgent effort - accepted by Rev'd Capt Watson, to speak with her, explain the situation and continue their work together.
Rev'd Capt Watson's death last autumn saw huge numbers of tributes - including from the senior Church of England Bishop of Newcastle and Northumberland. Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley and the Right Reverend Mark Wroe. They said: "It is with a profound sense of sadness and grief that we received the news about Katie, and our first thoughts are with her partner Emily and their children and all who knew and loved Katie.
"From her much valued work as a hospital chaplain, which reached beyond the bounds of the North East, to her many colleagues from her past career, and the sporting and running communities she was a part of, to all of us here in the Diocese of Newcastle, we mourn her death with a deep feeling of loss."
