Inquest finds shortage of mental health beds contributed to death of Sussex teenager
Ellame Ford Dunn died in March 2022 after absconding from a children's ward in Worthing Hospital
A shortage of mental health beds played a part in the death of a Sussex teenager, an inquest has found.
Ellame Ford Dunn was found dead in March 2022 after running away from a nurse who was escorting her down a corridor at Worthing Hospital.
The inquest heard Ellame, who suffered PTSD as a result of sexual abuse, was being treated on a general children's ward to avoid being denied admission completely.
A jury shared that it was unsure if the 16-year-old had intended to die - but found the end of her life was "more than minimally contributed to" by her treatment on a children's ward "without the provision of security" as well as poor guidance on how to act after she absconded:
"Ellame left the ward by the main exit and was not pursued immediately.
"Security and police were notified, but 59 minutes elapsed until she was found by police."
The inquest heard that the shortage of beds was a national issue - with parents Ken and Nancy sharing in their evidence that, at one point, ambulance staff were calling round for support "but couldn't get a bed anywhere".
Multiple admissions left Ellame feeling "ignored and unsupported" by health services, they added - and they shared concerns that Ellame was discharged from units "too quickly".
Dr Maggie Davies, Chief Nurse for University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The loss of Ellame at such a young age was a tragedy and devastating for everyone who knew and loved her.
“We had a responsibility to protect her while she was in our care, and we are deeply sorry that we were not able to do so.
"As the inquest heard, everyone accepts that general hospital wards are not the right place for young people suffering acute mental distress.
!However, while vulnerable patients like Ellame remain with us, we have a duty to keep them safe for as long as it takes for the right care to become available elsewhere.
“Since Ellame’s death, we have fundamentally improved the way we care for patients with mental health needs within our hospitals, including additional staff training and stronger security protocols.
"We remain committed to working with our NHS partners to find better ways of caring for patients who need specialist care away from general hospital wards.”