A 14-year-old girl was unlawfully killed when an agency support worker failed to keep her under observation at a secure psychiatric unit, an inquest jury has concluded. Ruth Szymankiewicz died two days after harming herself at the privately run Huntercombe hospital near Maidenhead on 12 February 2022.
The worker, who used a false identity, left Ruth alone despite her being judged a suicide risk requiring constant watching. The jury found that the worker's failings amounted to gross negligence manslaughter. The worker had never worked at any hospital before and did not receive an induction before his shift.
The jury raised concerns about training of agency staff at Huntercombe and said contributing factors included Ruth not being prevented from accessing harmful material. She did not receive therapy that may have helped, family visits were limited, and she could access harmful content on her phone.
Ruth's parents, Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz, said: 'There is an empty space at our table, a silent bedroom in our home, a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled.' They described systemic failures at the hospital and urged that wider issues be addressed.
Health experts highlighted ongoing problems with agency staff use and shortages of psychiatric intensive care units for children. Dr Gillian Combe, clinical director for the provider group, said understaffing still exists and blamed NHS changes under Andrew Lansley for reliance on private units.
