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Teen's Suicide: Mental Health Care Lags?
10 Sep
Summary
- A 16-year-old died at home after mental health teams' delays.
- Inquest heard no psychiatrist saw teen despite self-harm.
- Family suggests care was not escalated quickly enough.
Ischia Montagu La Placa, a 16-year-old, was found dead at her home in Lyme Regis, Dorset, on February 16, 2024. An inquest into her death has heard that NHS mental health teams did not involve a psychiatrist in her care, despite multiple self-harm incidents in the weeks preceding her death.
The teenager, who had previously lived in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, was assessed by NHS crisis workers. However, she did not see a psychiatrist. Barrister Paul Clark, representing Ischia's mother, suggested that the teen's care was not escalated quickly enough by the involved NHS trust.
The inquest was told that Ischia had been generally well until early 2024. On February 4, 2024, she was taken to hospital after ingesting a substance and was assessed as being at medium risk. She was subsequently referred to the Enhanced Support and Liaison (ESL) team, a crisis service. Further self-harm incidents were reported on February 11, 2024.
During the hearing, Dr. Alison McCowat, a consultant psychiatrist with the NHS trust and a family friend, stated that she did not perceive an immediate risk at the time. She also noted that a hospital stay or a direct meeting with a psychiatrist was not always beneficial and was not a routine procedure for patients in similar situations.
