Last week was
#ChildMentalHealthWeek, a week which aims to remove the stigma surrounding
children’s mental health by creating more awareness.
However, child mental health appears to be neglected, demonstrated in the rise in
inpatient suicides within them. A recent BBC report found that 16 young people
have killed themselves under Children and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) care.
The report comes to light following the
unfortunate death of Christie Harnett in June 2019, who was under the care of
West Lane CAMHS unit in Middlesborough. Christie’s step-father reported that
the hospital “decided to change the way they did observations” and “managers
didn’t act on any of the complaints made”. He therefore believes that Christie
would still be alive had she not been in that hospital, which has since been
closed down after the Quality Care Commission rated it ‘inadequate’.
Jenny Wilkes, Head of Mental Inspection said that “people were not safe or
being provided with care in line with their needs” whilst inpatients at West
Lane. This coincides with a former inpatient reporting that staff would leave
her hurting herself, despite observing what she was doing. Other issues
included inadequate recordings of observations, poor knowledge of care for
young people with complex needs and poor reporting of incidents. Furthermore,
CQC also highlighted inadequacies in respect of managerial oversight. Since its
closure, the NHS have commissioned an independent investigation into West Lane.
Deborah Coles, Director of Inquest said “too many young people are dying in
mental health care” and referred to the fact that inquests have revealed
patterns of failure and neglect.
At Ramsdens Solicitors, our experienced Clinical Negligence and Inquest team act for vulnerable parties who
have been failed by mental health services that have breached their duty of
care. We approach each case in a compassionate manner, paying close to
attention to each individual’s needs.
For
a confidential discussion, please contact our team on 0113 887 1834
or email [email protected]. Alternatively, you can make an enquiry using our online enquiry form and we will be in touch when it is convenient for
you.