Care home owner 'overwhelmed' with Covid pressures took his own life

A care home owner from Wrexham who was “overwhelmed” and "afraid of spreading" coronavirus to the residents tragically took his own life outside a police station, an inquest heard earlier this week.

Vernon Hough, 61, was a director at Gwastad Hall Nursing Home, in Wrexham, which he ran with his wife Helen caring for 40 residents.

At the inquest in Ruthin, Mrs Hough said running the care home during the pandemic was "having an impact" on her husband.

He had been struggling with the pressures of the COVID-19 outbreak on the care home.

Mrs Hough said: "He was panicked at times; we would constantly talk about COVID-19. He wasn't afraid of catching it, he was afraid of spreading it."

The inquest also heard the care home had difficulty securing PPE, trying to get medical help and struggled to get oxygen to their residents amid the pandemic.

Mrs Hough told the inquest they had to deal "with seeing them suffering." She said: "The only relief at the time was oxygen for them, and you couldn't get it unless it was prescribed."

However, Mrs Hough had no inclination Mr Hough was going to take his own life.

Mr Hough, a grandad and father of four was found inside his car which was parked in the car park of the Police Divisional HQ in Llay, on Thursday, May 21, at around 9.45 am.

A post-mortem examination found he had died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound from a shotgun. The firearm, which Mr Hough owned legally, was discovered nearby.

The inquest heard on May 21 a custody nurse had spotted Mr Hough's vehicle with the door open and the gun in view. He alerted an inspector and then firearm officers were called in. But Mr Hough was discovered inside the vehicle dead.

Assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central David Pojur, recorded a conclusion of suicide.

Mr Pojur said: "This is a very sad death, when the pressure of working through the pandemic had overwhelmed your husband."

He said the situation had affected his mental health and "it became too much for him."

’It’s been such a terribly dark time for people working in the sector’

Following the inquest Mario Kreft, the chairman of Care Forum Wales, said: "This is a tragic case and very sadly illustrates the enormous pressure care home owners and their staff have been under as a result of the pandemic.

"It’s been such a terribly dark time for people working in the sector and the sense of responsibility felt by Vernon toward the residents of Gwastad Hall clearly became too much for him to bear.

"Running a care home is an immense responsibility at the best of times, but the pressures of keeping the virus at bay were compounded by the shortage of essential supplies like oxygen and PPE which made things even more difficult."

He added: "We are all rightly mindful of the residents – and I am sure this played a part in this tragedy, but we also have to be mindful of the staff, managers and owners who operate these care homes. We also have a duty of care to them because sometimes their wellbeing is overlooked.”

"Our thoughts are very much with Vernon’s family, friends and staff at this extremely difficult time, not to mention the residents to whom he was utterly devoted."

Below are a list of helplines and support groups

If you or know of someone who might be unsettled, stressed, anxious or uneasy during this difficult time, please contact one of the helplines or support groups we have listed for you below:

Samaritans. To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person. You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).

SANEline. If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).

The Mix. If you're under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (Sunday-Friday 2pm–11pm), request support by email using this form on The Mix website or use their crisis text messenger service.

Papyrus HOPELINEUK. If you're under 35 and struggling with mental health issues, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.