AN EMAIL which would have triggered more support for Gaia Pope was sent to the wrong address, an inquest has heard.

Ms Pope was found dead in undergrowth on a clifftop in Swanage 11 days after going missing in November 2017.

An inquest, which began last week and will last 11 weeks, heard how the consultant neurologist who “assumed” control of her epilepsy care from March 2017 onwards only met the 19-year-old once.

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Professor Matthew Walker, consultant neurologist at the University College London (UCL) told the hearing at Bournemouth Town Hall there was a “lack of communication” between community psychiatric teams and neurological care across England and Wales.

The inquest heard how Professor Walker was not made aware of Ms Pope being sectioned under the mental health act the month before he saw her in March 2017.

Professor Walker only met Ms Pope on that occasion and admitted he wouldn’t have known if she had died between March 2017 and November 2017.

He said it was likely Ms Pope would have gone forward with surgery to treat her epilepsy which would have given her a 50 per cent chance of leaving her seizure-free.

For six months, however, there was a delay in carrying out the assessments into her eligibility for surgery and Professor Walker “couldn’t get to the bottom” of why there was a delay.

Senior coroner for Dorset, Rachael Griffin, expressed her concern at the lack of communication between the teams managing Ms Pope’s care, telling Professor Walker it was “dangerous to assume”.

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An email sent by a care worker from Dorset County Council asking Professor Walker to send a letter of support to help Ms Pope with work arrangements was sent to the wrong email address.

Professor Walker said the letter would have “triggered” contact with Ms Pope to review her care.

The neurologist said: “I think there’s a lack of communication between community psychiatric teams and neurological care across England and Wales.

“I think better communication could prevent future deaths. People with epilepsy are four times more likely to commit suicide, there’s high rates of depression and anxiety.

“[Better communication] could be done to improve the lives and also protect the lives of people with epilepsy.”

Professor Walker added Ms Pope not taking her medication could have contributed to her death.

The inquest continues.