Five-day inquest to look at serious concerns over hospital unit’s management and observation of Sarah Skillington

A specialty hospital ward in Mitcham is facing scrutiny after a 33-year-old mum committed suicide less than two weeks after her daughter was born.

The suicide of new mother Sarah Skillington at Mitcham Private Hospital's Perinatal Mental Health Unit in late 2023 is being examined at inquest.

A specialty hospital unit for women with postpartum depression and psychosis is under scrutiny over the suicide of a new mum whose death can’t be narrowed beyond an 11-hour window despite policies requiring she be checked by nurses hourly, an inquest heard.

Sarah Skillington, 33, tragically took her own life at Mitcham Private Hospital’s Perinatal Mental Health Unit less than two weeks after giving birth to her daughter Lily at Frances Perry House on November 6, 2023.

A five-day inquest into her death began on Monday where serious concerns over the hospital unit’s management and observation of Ms Skillington were raised.

The new mother, from Bentleigh, was described as “euphoric” following the birth of her baby girl but her mental state quickly spiralled in subsequent days where she desperately sought help from multiple doctors, the Coroners Court heard.

Ms Skillington was admitted to the perinatal mental health unit 10 days after giving birth and was assessed by a psychiatrist as being low risk and placed her on category 1 observations.

The hospital’s policy for such patients is to check on them hourly overnight to confirm signs of life yet the hospital can’t narrow her time of death beyond when she was last seen alive at 10pm on November 18 and 9am the next day when her body was discovered.

A summary read to the court stated CCTV footage from within the unit raised doubts about the accuracy and efficacy of observational records by nurses responsible for Ms Skillington’s wellbeing during the 11-hour window that she ended her life.

Ms Skillington’s family – including husband Jarvis Johnson, parents Peter and Karen and brother Rob – want answers over her death.

The inquest will probe whether staffing levels were adequate within the unit and if staff were sufficiently qualified, trained, supervised and supported to safely perform their duties within the six-patient facility.

On Monday, two medical professionals involved in Ms Skillington’s care were granted immunity certificates in exchange for their evidence.

Such certificates are given to witnesses who provide information to the court which puts them at risk of criminal prosecution.

Obstetric specialist Dr Philippa Costley, who cared for Ms Skillington throughout her pregnancy and delivered her daughter, told the court she was “significantly concerned” about the new mother’s mental wellbeing in the days after she gave birth.

Dr Costley broke down in tears in the witness box as she recalled their final conversation after Ms Skillington was voluntarily admitted to the Mitcham hospital unit.

“She didn’t want to be there. I told her she needed to stay and needed care and wasn’t okay,” Dr Costley said through tears.

The court heard Ms Skillington had a history of health-related anxiety and no other serious psychiatric history.

The inquest, before Coroner David Ryan, continues.