‘It must never happen again’: calls for change after teen's unlawful killing at Taplow hospital

Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has joined a call for ‘urgent change’ in the wake of the unlawful killing of a teenage girl at a Taplow mental health hospital.

Dame Rachel, along with the parents of 14-year-old Ruth Szymankiewicz, have demanded child mental health legislation be updated to give better protections for them and their families.

Ruth, from Salisbury, died after a fatal act of self-harm at the now-closed Huntercombe Hospital in 2022. An inquest into Ruth’s death found she had been unlawfully killed.

In their closing remarks, the inquest jury cited access to family support among a litany of failings that contributed to her death.

In a comment issued yesterday (Thursday) Dame Rachel said Ruth’s death as a ‘terrible tragedy’.

“She deserved to grow up into a brilliant young woman, with the support and protection she needed from the professionals trusted with her care,” she added.

She said: “Children must be supported at home wherever possible, never placed long distances from family, with visits from their loved ones whenever they want.

“This right was wrongly denied to Ruth – it must never happen again.”

Ruth’s parents Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz, both doctors, were present throughout the eight-day inquest at Beaconsfield Coroner’s Court in August.

The inquest heard how Ruth had been ‘let down’ by a support worker who left Ruth alone to perform a fatal act of self-harm when she should have been under constant supervision.

Speaking after the inquest conclusion, Mr Szymankiewicz said he hoped ‘if change can come from her story, it can make a tangible difference to others’.

Ruth’s parents, Dame Rachel and campaign charity Inquest, have now called for updates to be made to the Mental Health Bill.

The Mental Health Bill will reform legislation in the Mental Health Act and is set to be debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

The amendments they are calling for include: more parental involvement in care; safeguards against children being placed far from home or in adult wards, and more opportunities to treat children away from hospitals.

Ruth’s mother is due to brief MPs on Monday about the proposed changes in the hope of establishing cross-party support.

In a statement on the call for change, Mr and Mrs Szymankiewicz said: “When Ruth was on the general paediatric ward she was able to have a parent or family member with her whenever she wanted, night or day.

“Once she was transferred to the mental health ward she was only allowed to see us for a maximum of two hours, twice a week.

“We and she asked, and were denied, repeatedly, with no justification other than it was hospital policy.

“Family centred care needs to be at the heart of all mental health services.”

They have urged other bereaved families to write to their MPs and back the call for reform.

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our deepest sympathies are with Ruth’s family and friends.

“This is a shocking case and it is clear that care at the Huntercombe Hospital fell far below the standards we expect.”

The spokesperson added, ‘the Mental Health Bill will strengthen requirements around parental involvement in people's care’.

They said, ‘we’ve instructed the NHS to prioritise improving the availability of mental health beds, and we are investing £75 million this year to reduce inappropriate out of area placements so that patients can receive care closer to home.”

Further changes would come through the Government’s 10-year plan, the spokesperson said.

The Government has also said it will review processes for placing young people in adult wards, and try to treat children and young people closer to their homes.