"Nothing will ever be the same again", says mum of teenager who took own life at Sussex hospital
Ellame Ford-Dunn died in March 2022 while receiving inpatient care for her mental health
The mum of a teenager who took her own life after escaping from an inpatient ward in Sussex says without her "nothing will ever be the same again".
Ellame Ford-Dunn took her own life after she ran away from a nurse who was escorting her down a corridor at Worthing Hospital, where she'd been admitted on mental health grounds, in March 2022.
Yesterday, Brighton Law Courts heard that it was a minute and a half before a staff member chased the 16-year-old, with the nurse who'd been accompanying her saying she shouted for help but didn't follow her because she'd been "told not to".
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust's defence admitted that although the ward "didn't have the resources or skills to support Ellame" - who had autism and ADHD - the only alternative would have been to deny admission completely.
Instead, they attempted to manage her risk with the resources they had.
Having pleaded guilty to failing to provide safe treatment and care, it added that Ellame's death falls against a backdrop of high demand for mental health care, which "increases the risk" of patients being "placed in inappropriate environments".
"Heartfelt apologies": NHS Trust
In a statement, Chief Nurse Maggie Davies said:
“The loss of Ellame was a tragedy, for her and those who loved her. Colleagues involved in her care are devastated by her death, and the impact it continues to have on her family and friends.
“Everyone accepts that people with acute mental illness should not be in general hospital wards or A&E departments, but we had a responsibility to protect her while she was in our care, and we offer our heartfelt apologies for not being able to do that.
“Ever since Ellame’s death we have agreed that our ‘missing person’ policy, and training around it, was not clear enough. We highlighted that, made improvements, and today we accepted the single charge relating to that policy.
“We are committed to working with our partners to ensure there are better ways to care for people who are at a point of such vulnerability and distress.”
Family "will never be whole again"
In her victim impact statement, her mum, Nancy Ford-Dunn wept next to a photo of a smiling Ellame, as she told the court her family "will never be whole again":
"Wherever we go, whatever we do, there is an Ellame shaped hole in the world, and her absence screams in our ears every day.
"There are perhaps more obvious impacts – the dark grief, the anger, the constant 'what ifs', the deep, deep pain of knowing we will never hold our beautiful daughter again, and never hear her voice.
"The only way we can care for Ellame now is to tend her grave."
The Trust is expected to be sentenced on the 26th of November.