The parents of a 17-yr-old girl who died by suicide while under the care of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Kerry have initiated a High Court case, reports The Mirror.
The couple, whose identities are protected by a court order, are suing for nervous shock following the loss of their daughter four years ago.
Their legal representative, Patrick Treacy SC, instructed by Cian O’Carroll solicitors, described to the court how, in July 2021, the parents discovered their daughter deceased in their home, reports The Mirror.
He stated that they were left in a state of “utter devastation” and that their trauma was indescribable.
The core issue, according to counsel, is that CAMHS never provided the teenager’s parents with a diagnosis indicating she had a psychiatric condition, reports The Mirror.
The court heard that while the girl attended some CAMHS appointments, after missing a speech-and-language session in May 2021, there was allegedly no follow-up regarding her absence. Her mother repeatedly contacted CAMHS, voicing growing concerns about her daughter’s worsening mental health and requesting an appointment.
It was further claimed that the girl herself visited CAMHS in search of an appointment, reports The Mirror.
The lawsuit alleges a failure to provide adequate medical care, treatment, or advice to the girl at University Hospital Kerry or CAMHS South Kerry, including on one occasion in 2020 and four occasions in 2021, as well as after calls from her mother and her own in-person requests for help.
Counsel stated that both parents have been diagnosed with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and are experiencing prolonged grief. However, the HSE argues that the couple is suffering from grief rather than a psychiatric illness, reports The Mirror.
Ms. Justice Denise Brett was informed that while the HSE has admitted to a breach of duty in the case, the issue of causation remains disputed.
Counsel explained that in October 2020, the teenager was referred by her GP to University Hospital Kerry due to worsening mental health, low mood, and suicidal thoughts. She was promptly referred to CAMHS Kerry and attended her first appointment with her mother the following month, reports The Mirror.
An assessment was conducted, but, according to counsel, no risk assessment or management plan was recorded in her file.
In March 2020, she had her first medical appointment at CAMHS, but no care plan was documented. While a psychiatrist verbally suggested a follow-up appointment, no formal arrangements were made for ongoing clinical care, reports The Mirror.
She was offered speech-and-language therapy and attended three sessions in March and April but missed her May appointment. Counsel stated that no follow-up contact was made regarding her absence.
Her mother made multiple attempts to reach CAMHS, expressing growing alarm over her daughter’s deteriorating condition and requesting an appointment. The teenager also personally visited CAMHS to ask for one, reports The Mirror.
Despite this, her file was not reviewed, and no care plan was implemented, according to counsel.
The claim alleges that there was a failure to provide proper medical care and treatment to the girl from her initial presentation at University Hospital Kerry through her interactions with CAMHS Kerry, reports The Mirror.
It further contends that there was a failure to consider her symptoms, including signs of moderate to severe mental illness, suicidal ideation, and possible psychosis.
Additionally, it is claimed that no adequate assessments were conducted, nor was she monitored appropriately, if at all.
The case also argues that there was an undue emphasis on speech-and-language assessments instead of addressing her broader mental health needs, reports The Mirror.
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