A DOCTORS surgery has changed its repeat medication system following the death of a popular Hereford man.

Alex Evans, 31, was found dead at his home in St Martin’s Street on May 20.

He worked at the Courtyard and was well-known for his role within the county’s performing arts community, having been involved in numerous projects over the years.

He was also a valued member of the Beefy Boys team.

At the inquest into his death last Wednesday, Coroner Mark Bricknell recorded a verdict of suicide.

“This is a very sad case, all suicides are sad but I do feel Alex had a tough time,” concluded Mr Bricknell.

“He might have been helped if contact had been more robust baring in mind his history.”

The inquest heard that Mr Evans had had a long history of depression and was medicated from his teenage years onwards.

Dr Mark Waters, of Cantilupe Surgery in Hereford, said that in 2013 Mr Evans was admitted to hospital and seen by the community mental health team but he had disengaged by June 2013.

“In February 2013 the community team wrote to us stating that he had made good progress,” said Dr Waters.

“He was seen in the summer 2016 and we arranged for him to come in six months later for a review.

"We had a system of monitoring repeat prescriptions for anti-depressants. We gave him his tablets in February with a message to come in for a review.

“He had a four week prescription and then in March the same happened again but there was no response again. At the time it felt like a reasonable system which didn’t change until Alex’s death and we now have a new system.”

Mr Bricknell said that Mr Evans had received the same letter on three separate occasions requesting him to contact the GP when picking up his prescription.

Dr Waters said that now prescriptions would be reduced to last 14 days and then seven days to encourage the patient to make a review appointment.

“The system needed to be more robust and letters issued more quickly and quantity of medication reduced,” added Mr Waters.

“I think in Alex’s case he was very good at telling people he was doing okay so he was difficult to assess.

“We needed to see him face to face and then we could have acted more robustly. I feel more could have been done to give ourselves the best opportunity.”

The inquest heard Mr Evans had made an appointment to see the doctor on May 18 and was left frustrated at having to wait until May 26 to be seen.

Dr Waters added that if a patient requested to be seen the same day they would be and that there was a system for ‘flagging up’ patients but Mr Evans wasn’t one of these.

“It seems to me the flag system does need to be individual and for a GP to decide. You can’t leave that responsibility for a receptionist,” concluded Mr Bricknell.