Girl, 12, let down by hospital, mum tells inquest

Mia Lucas died while being detained under the Mental Health Act on 30 January 2024

Warning - this story contains discussion of suicide and self-harm.

The mother of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life while being treated at a specialist children's unit has told an inquest her concerns about her daughter's safety were "not taken seriously".

Mia Lucas died at the Becton Centre at Sheffield Children's Hospital on 30 January 2024 while suffering an acute psychotic episode and hearing voices telling her to harm herself and her family, the inquest heard.

A jury at the Medico-Legal Centre in Sheffield was told Mia had attempted to self-harm on at least four previous occasions while in hospital and her mother had raised concerns about certain items being in her daughter's room.

Chloe Hayes told the inquest: "Mia's observations were not sufficient."

The inquest previously heard that Mia had been suffering from autoimmune encephalitis - an "extremely rare and complex" brain inflammation than can cause extreme psychiatric symptoms and could have been triggered by a viral infection she had in December 2023.

Mia had also undergone recent trauma in her personal life, including bullying at school and moving house, which experts said could have led to the psychotic episode.

She was admitted to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on New Year's Eve 2023 after trying to access knives at home and harm her mother.

She was sectioned on 9 January then transferred to the Becton Centre - one of the only mental health facilities in the country for children aged 13 and under.

But Ms Hayes, 33, told the inquest she had been worried about Mia having access to a chair and bedding in her room there following prior attempts to self-harm so suggested they be removed.

But staff at the Becton Centre told her that taking those items away from Mia would compromise her dignity.

Mia loved horses and spoke about her plans to become a vet, her mother said

Ms Hayes said: "I was very worried something bad was going to happen and I was not taken seriously."

Ms Hayes also spoke about another "shocking" incident when she went to visit Mia and found her injured.

When she asked staff why Mia had not been restrained, Ms Hayes was told that her behaviour "did not warrant it".

Ms Hayes also said she had not found out about some of Mia's self-harm attempts until after her death.

"I would never have left Mia alone if I had known the full extent," she said.

Ms Hayes said she or family members visited Mia daily and she spoke to hospital staff several times a day to check on her daughter.

On the night of Mia's death Ms Hayes said she was told she was "settled".

However, she received a phone call just after midnight to tell her Mia had self-harmed again and it was found that she did not have a pulse.

Mia pictured with her mother Chloe Hayes, who attended the inquest with other family members

In a statement read out to the jury, Ms Hayes said she did not believe her daughter intended to take her own life - she only did so as she was so ill with autoimmune encephalitis.

"She was unwell for such a short period - it was a quick decision she took without thinking rationally.

"We were so close as a mother and daughter, we are all heartbroken beyond words."

Ms Hayes also said that she believed Mia could still be alive if she had undergone further tests for autoimmune encephalitis - it was not confirmed she had the condition until earlier in the inquest proceedings.

"My daughter's death could have been prevented but the hospital did not listen to my concerns.

"We reached out for help and Mia did not get the help she needed."

Before becoming ill Mia was described as a bright and kind girl with a "radiant smile and sparkling blue eyes" who loved horses, singing, crafts and spending time with her two younger siblings.

The inquest continues.

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