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Bourne teenager’s death ‘will change NHS’ mental health service Camhs




A 14-year-old who took her own life was waiting almost a year for mental health support, an inquest heard.

Anne-Marie Green, who had anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, died at home in Bourne on October 4 last year.

Her family had been trying to get her help from the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs) for almost a year, a coroner sitting in Lincoln on Wednesday was told.

Coroners' court stock image
Coroners' court stock image

Anne-Marie’s mum had contacted Lakeside Healthcare’s Hereward Practice in Bourne after spotting that her daughter had been signs that she had been self-harming in October 2020. She described her daughter to the doctor as having ‘issues with her body’.

Anne-Marie was referred to the ‘Healthy Minds’ website for support but over the next month continued to self-harm and stopped attending school due to anxiety. Her mother spoke again with their GP, leading to a referral to Camhs. It was also suggested she contact Don’t Lose Hope, a mental wellbeing charity based in Bourne.

Anne-Marie’s mental health continued to deteriorate and she began researching methods of suicide. She was referred urgently to Camhs but mental health services did not believe she was likely to take her own life.

The GP surgery then discovered Camhs had not logged the initial referral and, due to the already-long waiting list, the GP suggested the family explored getting mental health support through Anne-Marie’s father’s Bupa cover. This, the coroner understood, was unsuccessful.

Anne-Marie attempted an overdose in June last year. She was taken to Peterborough City Hospital, assessed by the Camhs team in Cambridgeshire, and discharged the same day. No details were passed back to the Lincolnshire team, where she was still on the waiting list.

Condemning this decision, coroner Paul Cooper said: “I am absolutely amazed they discharged her that day, having tried to take her own life.”

Although her parents saw some improvements to their daughter’s mental health - a connection made with an old school friend, and the family’s new puppy encouraging her to spend time outside - Anne-Marie’s condition continued to deteriorate.

Early on Monday, October 4 last year, Anne-Marie’s father, found his daughter had hung herself.

He called 999 while her mother tried to resuscitate Anne-Marie.

In a written statement to the court, her mother said: “I never considered she may try to hang herself.”

Before her death, Anne-Marie had written a note to her parents saying she was unable to handle being in the world any longer and that each day she felt “anxiety, stress and sadness”.

Eve Baird, representing the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said they had seen a huge increase in demand for mental health services since the start of the pandemic and that changes to the service are being made as a result of Anne-Marie’s death.

The average wait between assessments and treatment is currently 22 weeks. Anne-Marie had waited about 50 weeks.

Her parents were not present at the inquest.

l Samaritans offer free, round-the-clock, confidential support to anyone who wants to talk through their problems. Call Samaritans for free (from any phone) on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.



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