Inquest Identifies Care Deficiencies for Teenage Mother

An inquest jury determined that the care provided to a teenage mother, who died by suicide at a mental health facility in West Sussex, was marked by recurring failures and a deficit of professionalism. Morgan Betchley, a 19-year-old autistic woman from Chichester, passed away on a ward at Meadowfield Hospital in Worthing in March of the previous year. She was a mother to a one-year-old son. The inquest into her passing, concluded on Friday, established that while Morgan was accountable for her own death, her treatment had been “made unnecessarily stressful”. The Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust has stated that its policies have subsequently undergone review to enhance safety and risk management, and to increase family involvement in care planning. Tanya Betchley, Morgan’s mother, commented that her daughter had been “passed from pillar to post” among various care services during the last six weeks of her life. She had been admitted to and discharged from Meadowfield Hospital on three separate occasions. Ms. Betchley informed the BBC, stating: “It’s been horrifying to hear about the failings and the multiple missed opportunities to prevent her death.“It was very difficult for me to hear that on multiple occasions Morgan was almost actively encouraged to leave the hospital despite being incredibly unwell. “I would like to see that changed. I would like to see the families involved far more.” The jurors, in their narrative conclusion, identified staff failures at Meadowfield Hospital encompassing the admissions process, comprehension of existing diagnoses, record keeping, engagement with family, and discharge planning. They further indicated that care ought to have been more closely tailored to Morgan’s autism. Additionally, jurors noted that staff had not acted professionally concerning a letter of apology Morgan had penned to staff following an assault incident, which resulted in a “fractured therapeutic relationship”. The inquest was informed that staff had not accepted her apology. In a statement, the trust conveyed its acknowledgment of the failures and extended its sincere condolences to Morgan’s family. It stated: “Following Morgan’s death, we have introduced measures to improve safety and risk management on our inpatient wards, as well as increasing the involvement of families in the care and treatment of our patients.”