A DAD whose ‘baby girl’ took her own life has said failings in alcohol support services are ‘why people are dying’.

‘Beautiful and bubbly’ Jenna Wade died at the age of just 31 at her home in High Cliff, Ormsgill, on April 4.

The ‘intelligent’ and ‘talented’ hair stylist had struggled to deal with the death of her mum and postnatal depression following the birth of her second daughter in 2014.

At an inquest yesterday at Barrow Town Hall her neighbour Gary O’Connor said she started drinking more in the last 12 months which had resulted in her tragically being prevented from seeing her two children.

“She was drinking to cover up the harm; it was hurting her that she couldn’t see her children,” Mr O’Connor, of Broad Close, said.

“She said if she doesn’t have her children she didn’t want to be here.

“She found Mother’s Day very difficult. It broke her heart.”

The day before Miss Wade died she spoke to her kids on the phone.

“When she called and the phone rang her face lit up,” Mr O’Connor said.

“She seemed fine and seemed happy.

“She said ‘when you come round tomorrow just knock and come in’.”

The following day, when Mr O’Connor arrived at her home after finishing work at 3.30pm, he knocked and walked into Miss Wade’s home.

“I noticed the heating was on which was a bit strange,” he said.

“There were pictures of her children on the rug and in the living room there were all these photos of them all over the floor.”

The inquest heard Miss Wade had been born in Lancaster and later moved to Barrow to live with her dad Darren Harris.

She trained at Furness College and was a talented hair stylist at The Priory salon in Barrow.

She was referred to drug and alcohol addiction service Unity and had asked to be prescribed Antabuse but was told she must stay sober for three weeks before she could commence the treatment.

Antabuse, prescribed under the trade name Disulfiram, is used to support the treatment of alcoholism by causing many of the effects of a hangover to be felt immediately following alcohol consumption.

Miss Wade’s dad Darren Harris said alcoholics faced a ‘Catch 22’ situation because they needed the medication in order to remain sober but were prevented from starting it until they had been sober for some time.

Directing his criticisms towards staff from Unity who gave evidence at the inquest, Mr Harris, of Chiltern Crescent in Barrow, said: “You say you give a good standard of care which is ridiculous.

“There were a lot of missed opportunities.

“They took away the only thing she had to live for - her children.

“I feel sorry for anybody that is under your care.”

The inquest heard that Furness General Hospital has one of the highest rates of alcohol-related A&E admissions in the North West.

As a result NHS bosses have said that within the next five years a Specialist Alcohol Team should be set up in Barrow which can intervene and initiate treatment when patients with alcohol dependency are admitted to A&E.

The Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is responsible for commissioning some aspects of primary healthcare services including GPs and mental health care, funds a Specialist Alcohol Team in Lancaster but not in Barrow.

The CCG, which took over primary healthcare commissioning in South Cumbria in 2017, is required to provide the health services across its geographical area.

Bosses from Unity gave evidence at yesterday’s inquest in which they said they had submitted a formal proposal to the CCG requesting an alcohol team be set up.

Coroner Paul O’Donnell asked Unity’s service manager for Cumbria, Stacey Makin, if Miss Wade would have benefited from input from a Specialist Alcohol Team.

“Yes, definitely,” she replied.

Linzi Butterworth, a Unity team leader who conducted a Serious Incident Requiring Investigation following Miss Wade’s death, made a number of recommendations.

These included the creation of a Specialist Alcohol Team.

The inquest heard Morecambe Bay CCG has confirmed it will ‘consider the proposal’.

Miss Wade’s dad added that he had tried to raise awareness of the need for more integrated services following his daughter’s suicide.

“Jenna needed help and she was let down,” he said.