A woman told she did not meet the criteria to be admitted to hospital told mental health workers where she would take her own life and fell from a bridge over the M20 two hours later Danielle Tuohy, 25, was turned away from Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital s till wearing hospital clothing, and deliberately fell into the path of motorway traffic.

She was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit by a vehicle. Coroner Katrina Hepburn heard Danielle had battled gastroparesis - a chronic digestive disorder that affects how the stomach empties - for years.

Her condition caused extreme nausea and significant weight loss, with Danielle’s weight at one stage dropping to 5st 5lbs (34kg), and contributed to a decline in her mental health. The inquest was told she had gone to the William Harvey Hospital on January 22 seeking help for suicidal thoughts and hoping to be admitted.

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After waiting 10 hours, she left when she was told she did not meet the criteria. The following day, a Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust (KMMHT) home treatment team spent 80 minutes with her at her Ashford home.

Occupational therapist Danielle Rix said her suicidal thoughts were “coming and going” and that she had stated there was no intent to act “at this precise moment”. T he coroner heard Danielle discussed her plan to take her own life, involving taking a taxi to a bridge over the motorway.

“The whole reason we were there was to assess and review that ‘plan intent’, the level of suicidality,” said Ms Rix. “But if things didn't change and there was no plan and things continued the way they were, she didn't know if she'd be able to carry on as she was.”

After the team left, Danielle’s mum had to go to work. Within an hour, Danielle had gone to the motorway and taken her own life. Ms Rix also told the inquest that Danielle felt that neither North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) or the East Kent Hospitals Trust (EKHT) was “taking responsibility for her current presentation, and neither had a plan in place for her regarding treatment”.

The inquest heard she had undergone multiple treatments for gastroparesis, including the fitting of a feeding tube in September 2024, later upgraded to a PEG-J device five weeks before her death. The device delivers nutrition directly into the small intestine, bypassing the stomach.

Danielle enjoyed food and was well known in Ashford for her online reviews of afternoon tea cafes. She thrived on a daily routine of three meals a day and wanted to gain weight. But the inquest heard staff at NELFT, which was her “eating disorder lead”, told her that she could not eat if it led to vomiting.

Danielle interpreted this to be ‘nil by mouth’, and pleaded with clinicians to find a way to let her eat despite the nausea, saying there was nothing left to look forward to or break up the day. The inquest heard there was also a lack of knowledge about the PEG-J, with a team having to come to Danielle’s home to show her how to use it, as staff in the hospital after the surgery did not know the intricacies of the specialist tube.

Her gastroenterologist, Dr David Austin of EKHT, said he had “reflected on this quite a lot over the last 12 months”. “I think managing the tube became a problem. I think she was frustrated that she still remained symptomatic,” he said.

“What intervention could I have instituted? I could have taken the PEG-J out. After discussion with Danielle, we decided we weren't going to. She sent me emails expressing uncertainty about how to proceed, mentioning the possibility of being admitted to an eating disorder unit or the William Harvey. She wondered if she needed to be an inpatient to avoid the cycle.”

The inquest heard a Patient Safety Incident Investigation (PSII) identified “missed opportunities” for earlier contact, citing a "disconnect" and limited coordination between the services involved in her care. However, the coroner rejected some of the report’s conclusions.

Concluding the inquest, she ruled Danielle’s death a suicide and said: “I don't find that there was disconnect between the services involved in the patient's care, or that ineffective oversight by all services involved led to limited coordination in care.”

She said there was “some confusion” over whether Danielle’s mental health issues were due to an eating disorder or “all related to physical symptoms and issues with the gastroparesis”. The coroner noted that Danielle had hoped the feeding tube would improve her condition, but “sadly does not appear to have been the case”.

“She did not meet any inpatient criteria, so there were no triggers for mental health act assessment or anything that might detain her in the hospital,” she added. A prevention of future deaths report will not be requested, and the coroner ended proceedings by sending her regards to the family.

Danielle’s devastated mum Lucie Lochhead did not attend the final hearing, but had previously raised concerns over her daughter’s treatment, arguing the evidence provided to the coroner about the at-home mental health review was “inaccurate in places”.

She disputed any suggestion that Danielle had told the home crisis team she was not feeling suicidal. A written submission to a pre-inquest review in April 2025 said: “Danielle did reach out to multiple people and services prior to the incident, desperately asking for help.

“Despite mentioning she felt unsafe and was having suicidal thoughts, everyone closed the door on her, no one was taking responsibility for her. [It led] to her feeling confused, isolated, helpless and thoroughly let down. Where would she have gone next for help as she had run out of options?”

A NELFT spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Danielle and extend our sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. We remain committed to working with partner organisations to improve care for our patients.”

A spokesperson from KMMHT said: “Following the conclusion of proceedings, we thank the coroner for their careful and thorough investigation. Our thoughts remain with the family, friends and loved ones affected, and we extend our sincere condolences at this difficult time.”

East Kent Hospitals Trust did not respond to a request for comment. Following the tragedy last year, a campaign, backed by Ashford MP Sojan Joseph, was launched to raise the height of the barriers on the M20 bridge.

A National Highways spokesperson said work would take place once it has the necessary funding.

If you're struggling with your mental health, you can contact the Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or email jo@samaritans.org in confidence