An inquest into the death of mum of three while she was a mental health patient has heard she did not always have access to an interpreter. 

On Monday, the inquest into the death of Katarzyna Szymborska continued at Suffolk Coroners’ Court in Ipswich.

Mrs Szymborska, a mother of three from Newmarket, took action to harm herself on October 14, while she was a patient at Wedgwood House in Bury St Edmunds, where she had been since August after being detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act.

She died in West Suffolk Hospital four days later.

It had previously been heard that Mrs Szymborska, whose first language was Polish, had struggled to communicate effectively at times when an interpreter could not be present.

A statement from Alina Szablowska, who was an activity worker at Wedgwood House, was read before the jury.

Ms Szablowska said that she tried to encourage all patients to take part in daily activities, including walks, trips into town, cooking and artistic pursuits.

However, she said that Mrs Szymborska often declined to take part.

On September 12, Ms Szablowska suggested to Mrs Szymborska that the two of them take a walk to a nearby heath, to which she agreed.

During their walk, the two women were able to converse in Polish, with this being Ms Szablowska’s native language.

She explained that she had tried particularly to engage with Mrs Szymborska, as she was conscious that they had this in common.

Mrs Szymborska said that she had been feeling “exhausted and tired”. She explained that she had been unhappy since her former partner had returned to Poland.

Although he had asked her to accompany him, she felt it was important to remain in England to be close to her daughter and grandchild.

Ms Szablowska said that she suggested Mrs Szymborska join in with cookery, as the unit had good facilities and she would have the chance to make some Polish food, such as cheesecake.

However, Mrs Szymborska said she struggled to focus on tasks.

A statement was also read from Izabella Pasierbeu, who acted as an interpreter for Mrs Szymborska on four occasions between August 23 and September 13, 2022.

She said that, from her interactions with Mrs Szymborska at Wedgwood House, she found that her understanding of her situation was good.

However, her comprehension of English was limited to single words and simple comments.

The court heard that an interpreter was available to Mrs Szymborska on some occasions, but not all the time.

Previously, expert witness Dr Laurence Mynors-Wallis, a consultant psychiatrist, had told the court that the language barrier would have made it more difficult for Mrs Szymborska to establish an effective “therapeutic relationship” with clinicians.

“It is in the context of a good therapeutic relationship that someone is more likely to share their risk, for example, thoughts of ending their own life,” he said.