Girl Left Unwatched By Agency Worker At Psychiatric Unit Was Unlawfully Killed, Inquest Finds

A susceptible 14-year-old woman was unlawfully killed erstwhile an agency support worker grounded to support her nether study astatine a unafraid psychiatric unit, an inquest assemblage has concluded.

The worker, who utilized a mendacious identity, near Ruth Szymankiewicz unsocial moreover though she had analyzable intelligence wellness issues and was judged to request changeless watching because she was a termination risk.

Ruth was capable to gaffe backmost to her room and harmed herself astatine nan privately tally Huntercombe infirmary adjacent Taplow successful Buckinghamshire connected 12 February 2022. She died 2 days later.

During nan inquest it emerged that nan worker, who went nether nan stolen personality Ebo Acheampong, had ne'er worked astatine immoderate infirmary earlier nan time he was put successful complaint of watching Ruth and did not person an induction earlier his shift.

The assemblage successful Beaconsfield heard that nan ward Ruth was connected was habitually severely short-staffed and relied heavy connected impermanent agency unit for illustration Acheampong.

Ruth’s parents, Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz, a GP and a advisor surgeon, claimed astatine nan inquest that Ruth ne'er received nan therapeutic attraction she needed.

They were devastated that nan portion was much than 70 miles from their Wiltshire home, leaving Ruth isolated and desperate. The mates besides expressed interest that Ruth had unfettered entree to her mobile telephone and was capable to investigation suicide.

Though Ruth died successful 2022, wellness experts told nan Guardian that galore of nan issues astir nan usage of agency unit and nan shortage of psychiatric intensive attraction units (PICUs) for children and young group was still a immense problem.

Andrew Molodynski, a advisor psychiatrist astatine Oxford wellness NHS instauration trust, said location was a “gap successful accountability” complete nan training and vetting of agency staff.

He said it was often intelligence wellness inpatient units, pinch nan astir high-risk individuals, that relied connected agency unit nan most, particularly erstwhile they had patients for illustration Ruth needing one-to-one supervision.

He said this was a “toxic catch-22 … You extremity up pinch very fewer group who cognize nan ward and cognize nan patients.”

Minesh Patel, an subordinate head of argumentation and campaigns astatine nan intelligence wellness kindness Mind, said Ruth’s lawsuit was “a clearcut illustration of nan galore systemic issues successful our intelligence wellness hospitals”.

He said: “An over-reliance connected agency unit tin discuss diligent safety, value of care, and successful nan worst cases lead to superior harm aliases nonaccomplishment of life.”

During nan inquest, Dr Gillian Combe, nan objective head for nan supplier group that commissioned Ruth’s placement, said nan understaffing seen astatine Huntercombe still existed.

She expressed vexation astatine rules successful England that make it difficult for caller NHS units to beryllium built, meaning supplier groups person to trust connected sending patients to backstage units.

Combe said this business arose aft Andrew Lansley’s changes to nan NHS – described by immoderate arsenic “creeping privatisation” – erstwhile he was Tory wellness caput from 2010 to 2012. She said location was nary PICU for children and young group successful nan full of south-west England.

The kindness Inquest, which has supported Ruth’s family, expressed interest that nan inquest focused connected individual failings alternatively than systemic ones specified arsenic nan deficiency of therapeutic attraction for children, inadequate unit training and out-of-area placements.

It said: “The attraction has fallen connected individual failures, not nan deep-rooted issues plaguing Huntercombe and children’s intelligence wellness services nationally. Until we look those head-on, much children for illustration Ruth will die.”

Ian Wade KC, an adjunct coroner, said location had been an “abject failure” by Acheampong to observe Ruth.

Dr Amit Chatterjee, nan main aesculapian serviceman astatine Active Care Group, which owned and ran Huntercombe, told nan inquest that nan institution had worked difficult to amended recruitment and its induction process.

Huntercombe has closed but Chatterjee said nan institution had boosted therapeutic attraction astatine its existent tract for young people, Ivetsey Bank infirmary successful Staffordshire.

The inquest heard that aft learning that Ruth had died, Acheampong fled from nan UK to Ghana. Thames Valley constabulary said they knew his existent personality but did not person capable grounds to effort to get him back.

The usage of agency unit successful intelligence wellness settings has been cited arsenic a awesome rumor successful galore reviews and inquest conclusions. In nan lawsuit of Lily Lucas, a 28-year-old female who died successful 2022 from excessive fluid intake brought connected by schizophrenia, an NHS reappraisal recovered that immoderate agency nurses connected her privately tally ward did not cognize really to usage 999.

An inquest into nan decease of Sophie Alderman, 27, who took her ain life astatine a intelligence wellness infirmary successful 2022, recovered location was a dense reliance connected agency staff, and only 2 qualified imperishable intelligence wellness nurses were connected nan ward astatine nan time.

A Care Quality Commission report connected nan Mental Health Act said patients had described agency unit arsenic “not friendly” and “less caring” towards patients, and detrimental to morale among imperishable staff.