Tragedy mum says young are in danger
AMOTHER whose son killed himself after being told he would have to wait THREE MONTHS for psychotherapy has blasted figures on waiting times for mental health treatment.
Deborah Cooper has urged the government to pump more cash into hard-hit services – or risk losing more vulnerable young people.
Her son Tyler Smith died after suffering horrendous injuries following a fall from Stockport Viaduct in 2014.
The 19-year-old had been discharged from Stepping Hill hospital six hours earlier after being admitted following an overdose.
He was sent home with three days’ worth of medication, despite making numerous threats to kill himself.
Tyler took the pills and fell 100ft from the viaduct hours later. He died of his injuries in hospital a week later.
Mrs Cooper has now called for ministers and health bosses to tackle the growing crisis in mental health care.
Shocking new figures show that mental health patients are waiting up to 90 days for treatment.
The average wait for treatment in Stockport is 22.8 days, which is above the national average of 18.8.
The 48-year-old, from Denton, said the tipping point for Tyler came when he was told he would have to wait three months for psychotherapy.
She added: “He was struggling to get through the next hour, the next day, never mind three months. It was too much for him.
“That was the deciding factor for Tyler. That was the point he decided to end his life. These figures show things clearly haven’t changed since.
“More young people could end up going the same way. It’s horrendous that more people like my son could die because they have to wait for treatment.”
Mrs Cooper said mental ill-health and physical illhealth have to be treated equally, adding: “If you’re having a heart attack, you can see it happening. You can’t necessarily see when someone is having a mental health crisis, what’s going on in their minds.”
Mrs Cooper said she fears red tape will lead to extra support for services fizzling out.
“People have to be pointed to these services, that’s half the battle,” she added. “We’re told to go to A&E when people need support. But we know those departments are already struggling to cope with demand. It’s not the right way to help someone going through a breakdown.”