Mother of TikToker India Walker-Flynn questions NHS monitoring before her daughter's death

'Beautiful and funny' India Walker-Flynn amassed almost 150,000 followers after she switched from posting about music to creating content about her mental health struggles.

Under the name The Bluebell System, she kept her audience updated about her 11 dissociative identity disorder 'alters' - multiple different personalities she believed she was experiencing.

She passed away in October 2021, at just 20 years old, following a 'ligature' incident whilst she was an inpatient on a mental health ward, a jury was told.

Giving evidence, her mother Victoria said she was 'sceptical' of the conditions her daughter claimed to have online and said she was worried her social media use was not monitored properly by the NHS hospital caring for her.

The inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court heard that India told her father that among other illnesses she had been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, complex PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a condition where someone feels that they have different identities that can take over their mind, some people refer to the individual identities as 'alters' and all of them together as a 'system'.

India had spent a year at NHS mental health facility Prospect Park in Reading between July 2020 to May 2021.

Victoria Walker said that during that time she had raised concerns about her daughter's social media use.

Mrs Walker said: "India was always popular on social media but her content changed from discussing music to discussing physical and mental health in the name of awareness.

"I was sceptical of her DID diagnosis.

"In November 2020 I was contacted by India's care co-ordinator, I told her I was worried about her social media use.

"They did not appreciate the impact of her social media usage on her health.

"I would like to understand if India's social media was monitored."

After leaving Prospect Park she became a patient at Elmleigh Hospital in Havant the jury was told, where she died.

Outlining her case, Senior Coroner for Hampshire Christopher Wilkinson said: "India was 20 years old at the time of her death, she was recorded as suffering from a number of physical and mental health conditions.

"She began to self-harm at 13 and had her first contact with mental health services at 14.

"She was soon suffering from anxiety and depression, at 15 she was referred to cognitive behavioural therapy.

"In late 2019 she was admitted to Wotton Lawn Hospital, Gloucestershire, but did not find the ward environment therapeutic."

Mr Wilkinson explained that India was assessed multiple times after her first stay at Wotton Lawn and in May 2020 she was readmitted before being transferred to Prospect Park.

After spending a year at Prospect Park she was discharged to her father's home in Gosport in May 2021 but her health declined and she was sectioned again in September 2021.

"She was sectioned and admitted to Elmleigh Hospital, India was risk assessed and a care plan completed and she was placed on 15 minute observations," Mr Wilkinson.

"She ligatured on October 4, India suffered further self-harm incidents on October 11 and 12.

"On October 16 India presented normally during the day, she had not reported feeling distressed.

"She was observed at 22:40, at 23:08 a nurse observed her room but could not see her so she went to get a torch and came back to the room.

"At 23:15 an alarm was triggered, she was found with a ligature around her neck, India was admitted to Queen Alexandra Hospital where she received critical care but she died on October 21."

India's father, Graeme Flynn, believes that if his daughter had been on one to one observations, where a patient is monitored at all times, she would still be alive.

He explained that in the month leading up to her death she had attempted suicide three times and he was watching her 24 hours a day, which he told the home care team who assessed her before she was admitted to Elmleigh.

He said: "She needed to be on one to one observations, when she was in Prospect Park she had been on one to one observations.

"Our concerns are that India was not assessed as a high risk of suicide.

"Had she been on one to one observations she would still be here today."

Her parents described her as a 'happy child' with 'an enthusiasm for life'.

Mr Flynn said: "She was a beautiful, funny, happy child, she had a love of music.

"When she was re-united with my family we became totally inseparable, she left my whole family devastated.

"The world will never be the same again."

Mrs Walker said: "She had an enthusiasm for life.

"There will always be an empty seat at the table at Christmas, the world has lost its colour."

India died whilst under section, a type of state detention, and so a jury inquest is required

The inquest continues. Anyone can contact Samaritans FREE any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. This number won’t show up on your phone bill. Or you can email [email protected] or visit www.samaritans.org