The mother of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life in a specialist mental health facility broke down in tears as a coroner's court heard she was suffering from a treatable physical brain condition.
A Tragic Case
Mia Lucas, from Arnold in Nottinghamshire, died in January 2024 after being found unresponsive in her room at the Becton Centre for Children and Young People in Sheffield. She was pronounced dead in hospital the following day.
The schoolgirl had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act just weeks earlier after her mother, Chloe Lucas, sought help for sudden and severe mood swings.
Shocking Revelation at Inquest
At Sheffield Coroner's Court, Professor Marta Cohen presented new evidence from blood tests confirming Mia had autoimmune encephalitis, a potentially treatable condition causing brain inflammation, when she was found.
The revelation caused Mia's mother, 33-year-old Chloe Lucas, to burst into tears upon hearing that her daughter's condition might have been treatable with appropriate medical intervention.
Mia had initially been taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham by her concerned mother, where she received a diagnosis of an "acute psychotic episode".
Systemic Failures in Care
The inquest heard that Mia had made five previous attempts to take her own life using items in her room at the Becton Centre before her final, fatal attempt.
Rebecca Keating, Clinical Director at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation, testified that Mia first came into contact with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) on New Year's Eve 2023, when her grandmother contacted the crisis team with concerns about Mia's behaviour.
Ms Keating explained that finding appropriate care for Mia proved challenging because most mental health facilities are not equipped to treat patients under the age of 13.
Healthcare professionals in Nottingham had actually discussed whether there might be a physical cause for Mia's mental health symptoms before her transfer to Sheffield.
Mia was moved to the Becton Centre on January 9, 2024, after discussions with her family. The Nottingham CAMHS team maintained contact with Mia and even visited her on January 29 - the same evening she was found unresponsive in her room.
Senior Coroner Tanyka Rawden has directed jurors to consider Mia's mental health history, the decision to place her at the Becton Centre, and the quality of her care while there, including "risk assessments around self harm".
