An inquest heard that a patient at a secure psychiatric hospital in Stockport died after taking a poisonous substance she ordered online. Beth Matthews, 26, died in March of last year after taking the substance, which she claimed was protein powder. Ms Matthews, who is originally from Cornwall, was described as “bright and vivacious” in court. She was a popular mental health blogger who had thousands of followers. Her inquest heard that she was being treated for a personality disorder on a secure ward at the Priory in Cheadle Royal. The court was told that on March 21, paramedics were called after reports that Ms Matthews had overdosed. Ms Matthews “ingested a substance that came through the post, quite quickly became unwell, was taken urgently to hospital, where she sadly died,” Assistant Coroner Andrew Bridgman told the jury. Ms Matthews “had a parcel delivered to the unit, which she opened in front of them and managed to consume,” paramedic Kate Barnes said in a statement. “A small plastic, screw top container” was included in the package. Ms Matthews ingested “an unknown amount” of the substance and had apparently told staff the package contained “protein powder,” according to the inquest. Ms Barnes was told that patients could open their own packages if they were supervised by staff. The package had “foreign writing on it,” and the substance had apparently “been purchased on the internet,” according to the jury. ‘Outstanding personality’ The court also heard a statement from Ms Matthews’ mother, Jane. Her daughter, she said, was “an incredible character,” “bright and vivacious,” and “lit up the lives” of everyone she met. She was passionate about sports and excelled at sailing, having completed the gruelling Fastnet race at the age of 15. Ms Matthews suffered life-changing injuries after attempting suicide in 2019, according to the jury. She gained thousands of Twitter followers by blogging about her recovery and her own mental health. Jane Matthews stated that her daughter was able to assist those who reached out to her and had touched many lives. The inquest is still ongoing and is expected to conclude next week.
