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A coroner has given the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) until July to explain what steps it will take to ensure GPs book follow up appointments with patients suffering from mental health problems after the suicide of a man last year.

An investigation by the assistant coroner for Cheshire Sarah Murphy into the death of 28-year-old Joseph David Powell, whose body was found in September 2024, found he died as a result of “suicide against a background of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression”.

The inquest heard Powell, who had a history of mental illness, was diagnosed with depression in March 2024 and prescribed Sertraline for 28 days. He was not given another prescription after that because he did not book a follow-up appointment with his GP as they had asked.

The inquest also heard he returned to his GP on August 22, 2024, and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder “and an exacerbation of his depression” but denied having “active suicidal thoughts”. However, he said he had “experienced suicidal ideation”.

Powell was prescribed Citalopram and given a phone number for a local psychotherapy service and he promised to arrange a follow-up appointment with his GP “in one to two weeks’ time” but never did.

On September 6, 2024, he was found hanged at home. In her report into his death, Murphy said she was concerned “not all GPs book follow-up appointments for patients presenting with mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder”.

“Instead, they request that the patient book their own follow-up appointment with their GP,” she said. “This can be difficult for patients who are suffering with mental health difficulties and can result in patients not receiving a follow-up appointment with their GP or any further medication.”

Murphy, who also sent a copy of the report to the family of Joseph Powell and lawyers for the unnamed GP surgery who she said "may find it useful or of interest", said the RCGP has until July 14 to set out what action it has or proposes to take.