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| Family judge 'ashamed' by support for suicidal girl | Family judge 'ashamed' by support for suicidal girl |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Society should be "ashamed" for not protecting a suicidal girl in secure custody, a senior judge has said. | Society should be "ashamed" for not protecting a suicidal girl in secure custody, a senior judge has said. |
| The president of Family Division of the High Court said there would be "blood on our hands" if the 17-year-old did not now receive adequate supervision. | The president of Family Division of the High Court said there would be "blood on our hands" if the 17-year-old did not now receive adequate supervision. |
| She is due to be released in 11 days, but a secure unit place has not yet been found for her - a situation Sir James Munby said was "utterly shaming". | She is due to be released in 11 days, but a secure unit place has not yet been found for her - a situation Sir James Munby said was "utterly shaming". |
| NHS England said "every effort" would be made to find appropriate care. | NHS England said "every effort" would be made to find appropriate care. |
| A spokesman said: "We have heard the comments from the judge and completely agree that a solution must be found." | A spokesman said: "We have heard the comments from the judge and completely agree that a solution must be found." |
| The girl, identified only as "X", has tried to kill herself several times. | The girl, identified only as "X", has tried to kill herself several times. |
| 'Profoundly disturbing' | 'Profoundly disturbing' |
| The judgement in the case of X - who is in the formal care of Cumbria County Council - revealed she was convicted at a youth court and has been detained in custody for almost six months. | |
| Sir James had previously noted the "enormity of the task facing the local authority" but stressed that the need for a final care plan was "overwhelming". | Sir James had previously noted the "enormity of the task facing the local authority" but stressed that the need for a final care plan was "overwhelming". |
| During the latest hearing in July, he emphasised this need further, adding: "On a large number of occasions... X has made determined attempts to commit suicide". | During the latest hearing in July, he emphasised this need further, adding: "On a large number of occasions... X has made determined attempts to commit suicide". |
| Staff at the unit where she is being held have said sending her back to her home town would be a "suicide mission to a catastrophic level". | Staff at the unit where she is being held have said sending her back to her home town would be a "suicide mission to a catastrophic level". |
| The judgement said: "Staff do not think it will take more than 24 to 48 hours before they receive a phone call stating that X has made a successful attempt on her life." | The judgement said: "Staff do not think it will take more than 24 to 48 hours before they receive a phone call stating that X has made a successful attempt on her life." |
| An earlier ruling heard how unit staff had witnessed "a profoundly disturbing and distressing scene when X self-harmed by repeatedly banging her head and face against the wall". | An earlier ruling heard how unit staff had witnessed "a profoundly disturbing and distressing scene when X self-harmed by repeatedly banging her head and face against the wall". |
| Staff have said she has to be checked every 50 seconds when she is in the shower. | Staff have said she has to be checked every 50 seconds when she is in the shower. |
| Analysis | |
| By Philippa Roxby, health reporter, BBC News | |
| There are around 1,440 hospital beds for children and young people with mental health problems in the NHS in England. | |
| But a recent review found that they were not evenly spread across the country - for example, some areas had no in-patient beds within a 50-mile radius. | |
| The picture is also complicated by who those beds are for - some are in specialist units for children with eating disorders, others are in high dependency units for young people with complex needs. | |
| And there are many more specialist beds than high dependency ones. | |
| This means that children and their families often travel large distances to access in-patient treatment. | |
| NHS England says it wants to change this by increasing the number of beds in badly-served parts of the country and by offering crisis help to children and young people in the community, at an earlier stage. | |
| When X was younger, she "was a child with poor school attendance, low-level criminality and periods of absconding", a previous judgement said. | When X was younger, she "was a child with poor school attendance, low-level criminality and periods of absconding", a previous judgement said. |
| 'Damning condemnation' | |
| In Sir James' judgement, delivered in private in the High Court family division sitting in Manchester, he said: "If this is the best we can do for X, and others in similar crisis, what right do we, what right do the system, our society and indeed the State itself, have to call ourselves civilised? | In Sir James' judgement, delivered in private in the High Court family division sitting in Manchester, he said: "If this is the best we can do for X, and others in similar crisis, what right do we, what right do the system, our society and indeed the State itself, have to call ourselves civilised? |
| "The honest answer to this question should make us all feel ashamed." | "The honest answer to this question should make us all feel ashamed." |
| He went on: "I feel shame and embarrassment; shame, as a human being, as a citizen and as an agent of the State, embarrassment as President of the Family Division, and, as such, Head of Family Justice, that I can do no more for X". | He went on: "I feel shame and embarrassment; shame, as a human being, as a citizen and as an agent of the State, embarrassment as President of the Family Division, and, as such, Head of Family Justice, that I can do no more for X". |
| Liberal Democrat former health minister Norman Lamb told BBC Radio 4's World At One that the judgement was "a damning condemnation" and "a reflection of a failure of the system to provide support for families across the country". | Liberal Democrat former health minister Norman Lamb told BBC Radio 4's World At One that the judgement was "a damning condemnation" and "a reflection of a failure of the system to provide support for families across the country". |
| The judge said copies of the ruling would be sent to the chief executive officer of NHS England Simon Stevens, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Education Secretary Justine Greening and Justice Secretary David Lidington. | |
| Labour MP Luciana Berger, who previously served as shadow minister for mental health, tweeted that it was a "devastating" judgement, while Conservative MP and former children's minister Tim Loughton said it was "worrying". | |
| Professor Wendy Burn, president of The Royal College of Psychiatrists, said some mental healthcare units were "desperately short" of suitable beds. | |
| She said the college urged the government in 2015 to prioritise investment in crisis care services for children and young people. | |
| It had also called on NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and social services to ensure emergency care pathways were in place. | |
| "It's alarming to see that two years later, children are still not getting the support they need," Ms Burn said. |