The heartbreaking story of Ruth Szymankiewicz calls urgent attention to flaws in mental health care for children. Her tragic death after being detained in a mental health hospital has prompted calls for crucial changes to the Mental Health Bill in England — changes aimed at preventing other children from suffering similar fates. But here’s where it gets controversial: are current hospital policies truly putting children's well-being first, or are they missing key aspects of compassionate care?
Ruth, a 14-year-old from Salisbury, died in February 2022, just two days after she inflicted harm on herself while she was a patient at Huntercombe Hospital in Maidenhead. She had been held there under the Mental Health Act. Ruth’s parents, Kate and Mark, together with Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, are urging lawmakers to revise the Mental Health Bill to protect vulnerable children better.
Their demands include ensuring children have stronger rights to stay in contact with their families while hospitalized and reinforcing safeguards to prevent children from being placed in unsuitable facilities. These proposed changes aim to create a more supportive and safer environment for young patients, which some argue is desperately lacking today.
The Mental Health Bill is set to be debated again in the House of Commons on Tuesday. Before this, Kate Szymankiewicz plans to attend a briefing with Members of Parliament at Portcullis House in Westminster, seeking backing across political lines. She will emphasize the need for enhanced community care services that address inequalities and reduce the unnecessary hospitalization of children.
Ruth’s parents shared their painful experience: when Ruth was on a general pediatric ward, she enjoyed round-the-clock visits from family members. However, as soon as she moved to the mental health ward, her family visits were abruptly cut back to just two hours, twice a week — a strict limitation they repeatedly challenged but were refused, with hospital policy cited as the only reason.
Huntercombe Hospital itself has a troubled history. The facility, which has now closed, received poor ratings from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2021, first deemed "inadequate" and later only "requiring improvement." On Ruth’s ward, more than half the regular staff were absent, forcing an inexperienced agency worker to supervise her. During this time, Ruth was left alone for about 15 minutes, during which she was found unconscious and later passed away at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Dame Rachel de Souza expressed deep sorrow over Ruth’s death, emphasizing that she deserved a future full of promise, supported by committed professionals. She highlighted spoken experiences of other children in mental health facilities who felt isolated from their families and longed for the comfort and familiarity of home.
"Had the right help been provided earlier," Dame Rachel said, "their outcomes could have been so different. Children must be supported at home whenever possible, and when hospitalized, they should never be placed far from their loved ones or denied visits. Ruth was cruelly deprived of this right — something that can never be allowed to happen again."
This tragic case raises important questions: Are mental health hospitals prioritizing safety at the cost of essential emotional support from family? Could more flexible hospital policies have prevented Ruth’s death? How can the system balance clinical care with compassionate, family-centered approaches?
If this story touches you or you want to share your thoughts, the BBC encourages open discussion. Do you agree with Ruth’s family that the Mental Health Bill needs urgent reform? Or do you think there are other deeper issues at play? Join the conversation and help shape the future of child mental health care.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of these issues, confidential support is available through the BBC Action Line.
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