‘I would have been there’: Hospital discharge ends in tragedy

A note containing the last words of a man found dead on a popular Sydney beach last month reveals a heartbreaking reality.

Scribed on a discharge sheet from a Sydney acute mental health unit were the last words of Jason Murphy.

After being discharged overnight, Mr Murphy’s body was found on North Cronulla Beach at 6.30am on March 23.

“If you find this well, I done it and took my life, please call the authorities,” he had written on the discharge sheet found with his body.

His sister, Lydia Murphy said she only learned of his discharge from St George when police knocked on the door that Wednesday morning to tell her Mr Murphy’s body had been found.

Now she is demanding answers as to why her brother was allowed to leave the hospital on his own, without a family member being contacted.

Mr Murphy Murphy’s body was found on North Cronulla Beach just a few hours after he was discharged from hospital. Picture: John Grainger

Mr Murphy had spent weeks as an inpatient at St George Hospital in Kogarah, presenting with suicidal thoughts brought on by months of extreme insomnia.

According to his sister, who asserted she would have been there to collect him, she was never made aware that he had been discharged.

Instead, he left the hospital that night alone.

Ms Murphy and Mr Murphy Murphy. Picture: Supplied

She described her brother as a “soft-hearted type of guy who took a lot of things on his own conscience”.

A music lover and keen Rabbitohs fan, he had recently returned to Sydney after living in Brisbane and had started a high-pressure marketing and sales job.

Ms Murphy said the job had become overwhelming, leading to her brother having severe trouble sleeping.

Mr Murphy’s last words were written on his discharge sheet from hospital. His family gave news.com.au approval to run this photo.

“You know, he’s just always been focused on not putting anyone out,” Ms Murphy said.

“I am able to travel, and if I wasn’t able to travel, I would have got someone there to pick him up. He just wouldn’t have left there alone.”

NSW Health offered its condolences to Mr Murphy’s family and pledged to keep Ms Murphy abreast of a subsequent investigation.

Mr Murphy Murphy recently returned to Sydney after living in Brisbane and had started a high-pressure marketing and sales job.

“The care provided to Mr Murphy following his voluntary admission to St George Hospital, including the circumstances surrounding his discharge from care, are being investigated by NSW Health,” a spokesperson confirmed.

“South East Sydney Local Health District met with Ms Murphy last week to listen to her concerns about her brother’s care, answer her questions and we will keep her informed with respect to the investigation as it progresses.”

NSW Health said described its commitment to providing the “best possible mental health care and treatment”.

Mr Murphy was an inpatient at Sydney's St George Hospital. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone/NCA NewsWire

“This includes seeking to balance the need to protect the privacy of mental health consumers when requested by them to do so, and maintaining their trust in the services that care for them, with the need to ensure they have the support they need from their loved ones when returning to the community,” the spokesperson told news.com.au.

Ms Murphy has started a petitioning the wake of her brother’s death and in less than a week, almost 14,000 people have signed on to back her calls for a procedural change when discharging mental health patients.

Mr Murphy’s sister, Ms Murphy, was not notified of his discharge and only learned of his death when police came to her door. Picture: Supplied

“My brother’s welfare was neglected, and there was a major failure in duty of care,” her online petition writes.

She doesn’t want much, just a law requiring that “before a voluntary or non-voluntary patient is discharged from a hospital mental health unit that a next of kin/family member/friend or support worker will be notified prior to them leaving.”

Thousands have signed on, and alarmingly, dozens of others shared similar experiences upon signing the petition.

“I just had a feeling, and I ran with that, next thing, there are 13,000 other people who are agreeing and have had similar circumstances, unfortunately,” she said of the petition.

Ms Murphy has started a petition demanding that before a mental health patient is discharged, a next of kin/family member/friend or support worker should be notified. Picture: Supplied

Ms Murphy said had she been called, she would have been there for her brother. Picture: Supplied

While according to the NSW Mental Health Act, there is no explicit requirement for hospital staff to contact the next of kin upon the discharge of a voluntary patient, the medical practitioner in charge of the patient’s treatment is required to inform the patient’s nominated person (if any) or an appropriate person about the patient’s admission and discharge from a mental health facility.

Ms Murphy told news.com.au after meeting with hospital staff, she shares some understanding of their situation, given they are not required to contact next of kin.

“Jason slipped through the cracks that night,” she said.

Mr Murphy’s loved ones will farewell him at a low-key funeral service next week.