The grieving husband of a Rochdale woman who was awaiting urgent therapy for depression received an appointment letter two months after she hanged herself.

An inquest into the death of Miho Connor, aged 28, of Prince Street, Wellfield, heard that the NHS body responsible for her treatment had been suffering staff shortages and work pressures at the time of her referral.

She had been passed onto the Richard Street therapy team at the end of January last year, but was found hanged at her home on May 13.

The appointment letter was sent on July 6 and the service was informed by her GP that Mrs Connor had died two months previously.

Mrs Connor, who originally came from Osaka, Japan, to marry Leigh at Rochdale Parish Church in 2008 complained last January that she had had trouble settling in the UK, while speaking to Richard Street mental health nurse Linda Bott.

Mrs Bott told the inquest its service normally saw patients within a 'couple of months'.

The inquest heard that in the lead up to her death e-mails and telephone calls to Richard Street from both Mr and Mrs Connor had gone unanswered.

The Pennine Acute Trust's interim service manager Sue Coventry said referrals normally took up to six weeks for appointments to be made but the service had some difficulties.

She added: "We normally operate on that basis but our service was under pressure, one member of staff was reducing their hours and another was moving on at the time."

Rochdale coroner Simon Nelson said he was concerned about the lack of information and alternative services for those who were seeking referrals.

He said: "My concern arises from an expectation by the user that unless they know what is happening, they are left in a vacuum."

In returning his verdict Mr Nelson said: "Miho took her own life while suffering from a depressive illness.

"I accept she had a history of depression going back some years and the note she left, which had been written some time earlier, I believe, was indicative of her prevailing state of mind.

"As far as her treatment was concerned I have no difficulty in the quality of the initial intervention, including Mrs Bott, but I do have concerns about an explanation of the service and the timescale involved."

Mr Nelson ordered the trust to provide him with details of improved information for service users within the next three months

After the inquest Mr Connor told the Observer: "It's impossible to say whether or not Miho would still be alive today if the trust had acted more quickly.

"I was unhappy that e-mails and telephone calls had gone unanswered."

A spokeswoman for Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust said:"The coroner raised an issue relating to information given to patients on referral to Richard Street Therapy Service. We shall review that information and, as agreed, report any changes to the coroner."