During a Parliamentary debate on the government’s Mental Health Bill Richard Quigley MP drew on his family’s experience of inpatient mental health facilities to call for children to be protected from being placed in adult mental health wards.
During Tuesday’s (14 October) Mental Health Bill debate Richard Quigley MP drew on his own experience to call for better protections for children detained on inpatient mental health wards.
In his speech Richard spoke of 14-year-old Ruth Szymankiewicz who during her stay at an in-patient mental health facility fatally self-harmed.
Richard said of Ruth’s story:
Ruth was admitted to an in-patient facility for treatment of an eating disorder, but instead of receiving the care she needed, her family were shut out and allowed only two two-hour visits per week. They spent more time travelling than they did with their daughter. Ruth was just 14 years old when she fatally self-harmed, just five months into her stay.
Under current provisions children facing mental health issues can be placed on adult mental health wards out of area and without the involvement of their parents. Richard tabled three amendments to the bill which received cross-party support calling on the government to ensure that children facing mental health struggles are treated as children.
During his speech Richard also laid out the experience his family faced:
‘My wife and I have two vivid memories of our youngest being prised from us without any warning. We thought that was normal. Six months of nasogastric tube feeding—we thought that was normal. Illegal restraint so bad that it caused post-traumatic stress disorder—we thought that was normal. Forgetting to feed our daughter 11 times—we started to realise that that was normal, but not acceptable. Instead of wishing to improve its practice, the hospital has accused me of making this up.’
While the amendments were ultimately not chosen for vote Richard was pleased that the Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock, agreed to hold roundtables about proving medical practice along with Richard, Ruth’s mum Dr Kate Szymankiewicz and the Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel De Souza.
