Suicide of girl, 13, could have been prevented
Sophie let down by NHS, sheriff rules
THE death of a schoolgirl could have been prevented if she had received better support from the NHS, a report has found.
Sophie Parkinson took her own life at her family’s home in Liff, Angus, in 2014 after looking at online ‘suicide guides’.
The 13-year-old’s mother Ruth Moss told a fatal accident inquiry ( FAI) that her daughter had looked up ways to end her life – and believes NHS Tayside could have done more to help her.
Sophie, a second-year pupil at the £13,000-a-year High School of Dundee, first sought help from mental health services when she was just seven.
In a 100-page report, released yesterday, Sheriff Lorna Drummond ruled that some precautions ‘might realistically have resulted in the death being avoided’.
During the FAI, it was heard that Sophie had been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) by a self-harm team.
Sheriff Drummond recommended a number of precautions which could have been taken, including using a structured risk assessment, a formal diagnosis of Sophie’s psychiatric condition and providing further family therapy.
Sophie was reported to have been chatting to adults online and looking at content relating to selfharm and suicide before her death. She also viewed inappropriate content on her phone and had been in contact with older men online before her death.
It was also heard that the youngster had made previous attempts to take her own life. The report found that the CAMHS system of patient risk assessment and risk management was ‘defective’.
Following a number of reviews after Sophie’s death, NHS Tayside addressed the identified defects in the systems, the sheriff added. In conclusion, Sheriff Drummond made several recommendations, including that CAMHS should ensure out- of-hours support for its patients and that the patients and their carers should know who to contact for this.
During the inquiry, Miss Parkinson’s mother described her daughter as ‘ loving, kind, sensitive and very intelligent, way above her years’.
Despite her daughter’ s self-harming, suicidal thoughts and previous suicide attempts, Mrs Moss ‘was of the view that the clinicians were not taking Sophie’s risks seriously and did not properly assess the suicide risk she posed’, the sheriff said.
Mrs Moss welcomed Sheriff Drummond’s findings, telling the BBC: ‘My initial reaction is one of relief. I have always been of the view that Sophie’s death was preventable and that had Sophie had standard care, she would be alive today. The system let her and us down.’
Professor Peter Stonebridge, NHS Tayside medical director said: ‘ Our thoughts are with Sophie’s family and friends at this time. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to them again and are sorry for their ongoing distress. NHS Tayside remains committed to improving mental health services for children and young people across the area.’
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
‘Initial reaction is one of relief’