Hospital worker tears up as she recalls death of girl, 14, left alone on ward

Powys County Times

4 days ago

A care worker at a children's mental health hospital broke down in tears during an inquest hearing as she recalled the moment she realised a suicidal teenage girl who should have been watched at all times had been left alone.
Ruth Szymankiewicz was being treated for an eating disorder at Huntercombe Hospital in Berkshire and had been placed under strict one-to-one observation when on February 12 2022, an inexperienced agency worker left her on her own.
The 14-year-old was able to shut herself in her bedroom at the hospital's psychiatric intensive care unit – also known as Thames ward – where she self-harmed.
She died two days later at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
It later emerged the member of staff responsible for watching Ms Szymankiewicz – a man then known as Ebo Acheampong – had never worked in a psychiatric hospital environment prior to coming to Huntercombe Hospital on February 12 for his first shift.
Michelle Hancey, a support worker with 18 years' experience at Huntercombe, teared up as she told a jury inquest on Wednesday about the moment Mr Acheampong told her he 'couldn't follow' Ms Szymankiewicz on the ward – and she realised the teenage girl was alone.
'He just said to me he couldn't follow his patient and when I asked him who his patient was, and when I found out it was Ruth, I told him he needed to look for her immediately,' Ms Hancey said.
Ms Szymankiewicz had been placed on the 'level three observation' plan following earlier incidents of self-harm – meaning she had to be kept within eyesight at all times on the ward.
Tim Moloney KC, who represents the family, told the hearing: 'What Ruth did on the 12th of February was not out of the blue.
'Those who worked on the ward knew that Ruth would take an opportunity (to self-harm) if it was presented to her.'
Mr Acheampong was asked to join the psychiatric intensive care unit on February 12 because the ward was so short-staffed nurses could not go on breaks, the inquest at Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court was previously told.
Ms Hancey further told jurors that, on the morning of February 12, she had become 'upset and emotional' because of the insufficient staffing on Thames ward.
'I have raised (staffing issues) several times before this event,' Ms Hancey said, adding a lot of staff had fallen sick during that period because of exhaustion.
'There was an agreement that I should have a certain amount of staff on the ward.
'We had very difficult patients and they kept going off.'
Ms Hancey filed a risk management form known as a 'Datix incident' on February 12 2022, in which she raised concerns that staff on Thames ward would 'fail to monitor patients on prescribed special observation because of staff shortage', Mr Moloney said.
The inquest previously heard Mr Acheampong never returned to work at the hospital following the incident and fled the UK for Ghana.
A police investigation later found he had been using false identity documents and was hired by the Platinum agency – which supplied staff for Huntercombe Hospital – under a false name.
Active Care Group, which owned Huntercombe at the time of Ms Szymankiewicz's death, has since closed the facility.
The inquest continues.