A “loving, expressive and unique” teenager who took his own life did not get a response from his GP when he requested an appointment three weeks before his death.

Theo Khelfoune Ferreras, a second year film student at Brighton University, was found dead in Wild Park on March 29 last year.

At an inquest into the 19-year-old’s death at Woodvale Coroners' Court in Brighton today, Theo’s mother Elena Ferreras, a sociologist, paid tribute to her son.

She said: “Theo was very original, unique, sensitive. He was very passionate about art and movies. He wanted to be a filmmaker.

“Theo was a very good child, very loving, very expressive. We had a very good relationship with him.

“He was always concerned about people, especially my health and the health of our family.”

The young activist, who worked for Greenpeace, had struggled with his mental health and was diagnosed with anxiety in 2020.

Theo had passed the first year of his course without any issues but contacted the university’s wellbeing service in November of his second year struggling with depression, drug and alcohol related and financial issues.

He was offered a counselling assessment that month but declined and instead accepted an offer for a session on December 1. He did not attend this session and was sent a standard follow-up email and a personalised one after a health worker read his notes and deemed it necessary.

It was not until January 12 when Theo said he had been “spiralling” and requested a deadline extension for a university assessment.

Theo contacted his GP at Allied Medical Practice in Saunders Park Rise on February 6 regarding his mental health and alcohol intake. He had a face-to-face appointment on February 9 where he had a detailed consultation and was prescribed sertraline, an antidepressant.

He was told he should have a three-week review appointment but at the time his GP practice was unable to book appointments more than a week in advance.

Dr Vandana Vermer, the primary care director for IC24 which has run Allied Medical Practice since April, said the appointment system “was not safe for patients”.

The court heard how Theo had emailed his GP on March 6 for a repeat prescription and review of how he was getting on with the medication and did not receive a response.

On March 9, he emailed the GP again to say he had been without medication for four days and asked the GP to respond urgently. The repeat prescription was issued but a follow-up appointment was not made.

Penelope Schofield, senior coroner for West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, said that this was a “missed opportunity”.

Dr Vermer said: “This is a tragedy for the family and I am really sorry for their loss, but we have taken it on board.”

The booking system has since been updated to allow booking several weeks in advance.

Concluding the inquest, Mrs Schofield said: “Theo was a much-loved son  who was strong, active, mature and resilient. He was articulate, independent confident and proud and at heart an activist. Theo was talented and was pursuing his love of filmmaking.

“His death was a suicide while he was struggling with mental health.”

The Samaritans are available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.