St Andrew's Healthcare: Girl locked in psychiatric unit 'cell' to receive damages

A girl with autism and extreme anxiety whose father said she was kept in "cell" at a psychiatric unit is to receive damages, a council and healthcare bosses have said.

Bethany, 18, was locked in a St Andrew's Healthcare seclusion room in Northampton for almost two years.

Her father Jeremy, from Birmingham, launched legal action to get her moved.

St Andrew's, Walsall Council and clinical commissioning group and NHS England have apologised to the family.

The family - the surname of which cannot be published - previously shared its plight with BBC File on 4 saying Bethany had been kept in seclusion at St Andrew's Hospital for 21 months as she had been aggressive and self-harmed.

Last October, her father successfully fought a High Court gagging order sought by Walsall Council to stop him from speaking out about his daughter's treatment in the unit.

Bethany is currently at a medium secure hospital in Wales, which her father said is still not suitable.

"It's like putting a person having a cardiac arrest into an ear nose and throat ward," he said.

"She has deteriorated further and is now becoming even more damaged. It's an outrage that this is being allowed to happen."

In a joint statement, St Andrew's Healthcare, NHS England, Walsall Council and Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group said it had been accepted her care did not always comply with the mental health practices and "there were unfortunate delays in moving Bethany from what became an unsuitable placement for her".

It added through mediation with the family an "agreement was reached which has resolved matters, including the claim for damages, without the need for further litigation".

Neither party has disclosed how much the family will receive.

The bodies said they were working together to ensure Bethany moves to a "bespoke" placement.

St Andrew's and NHS England said changes had also been made to the care of people with autistic spectrum disorder, including new policies and systems for monitoring compliance with the Mental Health Act code of practice in relation to seclusion and long-term segregation and improved equality training for staff.

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