A response to reporting on the tragic death of Ruth, highlighting systemic failures in the UK's mental health services for young people.
Kate Szymankiewicz's deeply moving article in detailing the death of her 14-year-old daughter, Ruth, following struggles with mental health and treatment within the National Health Service (NHS), has resonated with manny parents ('The ward felt like a prison. What had I let them do?': how my daughter was crushed by a health service meant to help her, 8 November). The article exposes critical flaws in the system, particularly concerning the care provided in locked institutions.
As a parent who has navigated the complexities of the UK's mental health system for a child with an eating disorder, I share Szymankiewicz's feelings of helplessness and loss of control. Our daughter experienced three involuntary admissions - "sectioning" - under the Mental Health Act, resulting in 15 months spent in locked facilities.