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Girl died after being left alone by support worker, inquest hears
A 14-year-old girl who was supposedly under constant supervision at a children's mental health unit died after being left alone by her support worker, an inquest has heard.
Ruth Szymankiewicz was a patient at Huntercombe Hospital in Berkshire, where she was being treated for an eating disorder. She died at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in February 2022, after an incident of self-harm.
Ruth's parents told an inquest into her death at Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court she was "the kind of daughter you could only hope for". The couple, who are both doctors, described her as someone who "wanted to change the world".
Ruth had a "huge heart and deep passion," they said. Ruth was meant to have one-to-one observations at Huntercombe Hospital, but the jury heard how her support worker, Ebo Acheampong, finished his shift and left Ruth on her own for 15 minutes without finding a colleague to take over.
He subsequently fled to Ghana and hasn't been seen since. It's now known he had used fake documents and had been hired under a false name.
In an emotional statement read to the inquest, her mother Kate said they were "concerned" Ruth was sent to Huntercombe as it had received negative CQC inspection reports, particularly regarding safety and leadership. She told the jury, "We wish that we had fought harder to stop her going" to that hospital.
Despite raising repeated concerns about her care on the paediatric intensive care unit, the couple said they weren't listened to, and Ruth's condition deteriorated during her time there. Her mum described how Ruth's care felt "fragmented.
Amir Nisi
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