Rianna Poiana-Lazarec had expressed to staff her frustrations at how long it was taking to consider her potential move
Joseph Connolly and Local Democracy Reporter
16:25, 19 Jun 2026Updated 16:31, 19 Jun 2026
Rianna Poiana-Lazarec, 20, had been studying at the University of Nottingham and was awarded a posthumous degree after her death
A woman who took her own life in a mental health unit had said that suicide was the ‘only way out’ after the process in starting to find her alternative accommodation was delayed by two months.
Rianna Poiana-Lazarec died on January 6, 2025, after an incident of self-harm two days before at the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust-run Sherwood Oaks Hospital in Mansfield.
The inquest into Rianna’s death, which started on Monday, June 15, at Nottingham Coroner’s Court, heard evidence from people involved in her prospective discharge from the hospital, which ultimately never happened.
The 20-year-old University of Nottingham student had been a patient on Beech Ward at the hospital since November 7, 2024, and had been an inpatient at various wards and hospitals since July that year.
But while a “Notice of Assessment” (NOA) was sent by staff at Sherwood Oaks to Nottingham City Council – asking for them to allocate Rianna a social worker, to assess her for somewhere to live outside of hospital – this didn’t happen until two months later.
The inquest, in front of a jury, was told that a mishap in administration processes meant that there were delays in the process and that while the NOA was sent in September, a social worker, Istelle Walker, wasn’t allocated to Rianna until November 26.
Rianna had expressed to staff on Beech Ward her frustrations at how long it was taking to consider her potential move, including on November 22, which was documented.
The inquest was told that the process of allocation only began on November 14 after a follow-up email, questioning why things were taking so long, was sent by the hospital – at which point Rianna was added to the waiting list.
After that, it took less than two weeks to get Ms Walker involved.
Giving evidence, Ms Walker told the hearing that she explained to Rianna when she first met her on December 2 that it would be a “lengthy process” to find her supported living accommodation.
She explained that she was “honest with Rianna about the process” and told her that there would be a necessary interim placement in a residential care home first before she could move into her own place, after she’d left the hospital.
During the hearing, the jury heard a statement by Rianna’s named nurse, Laura Wilkinson, which outlined that Rianna had said that she “didn’t want to wait” for supported living and that she would take her own life after her birthday on December 11.
The 20-year-old struggled with the “chaos” of the Beech ward and with other patients on it whom she didn’t like, and, as an alternative to supported living accommodation, had requested moves to both Fir Ward at Sherwood Oaks and Highbury Hospital in Nottingham, run by the same trust.
These requests were considered but were not possible at the time, the inquest was told.
Ms Wilkinson’s statement to the court said that Rianna felt “suicide was the only way to escape” from the ward.
Rianna’s levels of self-harm increased over the Christmas 2024 period before she died a few weeks later.
The statement of a Nottingham City Council adult social care team manager to the hearing argued that the two-month delay “did not have a significant impact on the discharge of Rianna from hospital”.
She said that supported living is a “scarce resource” and that Rianna “was sadly never well enough to be fit for discharge to any form of supported living accommodation”.
The jury at the inquest were sent out on Friday, June 19, to discuss whether Rianna meant to take her own life, whether she should have been observed more frequently, and other possible factors in her death.
The inquest continues.
Where to find help
The NHS Choices website lists the following helplines and support networks for people to talk to.
- Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
- Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won’t show up on your phone bill.
- PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
- Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity based in England providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
- Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
- Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.