Finding into death of Carol Austin

65y · Female·Plastic bag asphyxia

Carol Austin, 65, died by plastic bag asphyxia at her home in Wangaratta in August 2018. She had a 20-year history of depression and had recently experienced suicidal ideation, a suicide attempt, and burns injury requiring hospitalization. She was admitted to Kerford Unit psychiatric inpatient service and discharged after reporting improvement. However, she remained inadequately engaged with outpatient psychology services due to limited local access to private psychologists and extensive waiting lists. The coroner found the mental health care provided was appropriate and contemporary, but identified a systemic prevention opportunity: lack of timely access to psychological therapy in regional Victoria. The death highlights challenges in the Better Access Initiative for rural areas where private mental health practitioners are scarce, and how restricted eligibility for telehealth services limits alternatives to crisis-focused tertiary care.