A SUICIDAL father threw himself to his death after failing to receive the hospital treatment he needed, it was claimed today.

Health bosses have launched an inquiry into the events before Stephen Tedesci plummeted from Blackburn's town centre car park early on Thursday.

Last month, the casualty department of the hospital was criticised by Coroner Michael Singleton for failing to have any guidelines to deal with suicidal patients after a man was found hanging in A and E in May. He had been admitted following an overdose.

Today Stephen's girlfriend of ten years Jacqueline Maxwell claimed he had been taken to casualty following a suicide attempt two days before his death but left after waiting to be transferred to a psychiatric unit.

She said: "That was the last time I saw him alive. He needed help because he felt he was having a nervous breakdown."

Stephen, 32, was found by drinkers in Lord Square, Blackburn town centre, after he fell from the third storey of the car park.

Jacqueline, 36, said he had visited the A and E unit at Blackburn Royal Infirmary twice in the previous week with self-inflicted injuries, but left because he had waited up to 12 hours for a psychiatrist.

She said Stephen, of Pilmuir Road, Blackburn, had even

checked himself in four days before his death without any injuries so he could plead to be sectioned, but again he left after waiting for an assessment.

Health bosses have drawn up a protocol for dealing with suicidal patients to the department, which have now been implemented.

But today the health trusts responsible for mental health services and the accident and emergency department launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr Tedesci's death.

Nigel Robinson, chief officer for the Community Health Council, the NHS watchdog, today said that he was sure accident and emergency department staff would have done all they could.

But he admitted that there were problems because the mental health unit was at Queen's Park Hospital, while the A and E was at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

"It is a difficult one to order an ambulance if it is out of hours because the only available ones are emergency ambulances and 999 calls take priority.

"The problem we have got at the moment is that we have a split site, but that will be resolved in the near future."

Jacqueline said Stephen was the sixth member of his family to take his own life.

She said the father of two had suffered from depression for seven years and had been signed off work by his doctor.

She said he was due to appear at Blackburn Magistrates next Thursday charged with assaulting a police officer.

"He thought once he went to jail he would lose his friends and family and thought no one would be there when he got out."

Then on Wednesday September 11 he slit his wrists. She said he was admitted to A and E at 10pm and was kept in overnight while waiting for a psychiatrist to assess him.

She said he left at 11am before anyone looked at him because he was not in a frame of mind for waiting.

She said Stephen phoned Queen's Park himself on Sunday pleading to be sectioned. Jacqueline took him to A and E but said he waited from 4.30am to 9am, before leaving again.

Jacqueline said Stephen cut his throat in front of her at their home the following day. He was taken the A and E department again but she said he waited three hours for an ambulance to transfer him to Queen's Park Hospital before leaving.

Jacqueline is unsure where Stephen stayed for the two days before his death but said: "If they had got an ambulance to him in that half an hour he would still be here.

"I want someone to give me answers. He told he he didn't want to die -- he just wanted someone to help him so he could be there for his kids."

A statement from the Lancashire Care NHS Trust, which represents the Mental Health Unit at Queens Park Hospital, said: "We are very sorry to learn of the death of Stephen Tedesci and would like to pass on our condolences to his partner and family.

"Lancashire Care NHS Trust will be conducting an internal review into the circumstances leading to Mr Tedesci's death with the full co-operation of the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust. Following the review a report will be considered by our trust board."