Change sought after sister 'begged' NHS for help

Melissa Turner (left) says her sister Sammy tried "desperately" to get help

Teaching assistant Samantha Young took her own life in 2023, despite pleading with the NHS to hospitalise her. Her sister is now campaigning for a change in mental health care, following an apology for shortcomings from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

With tears in her eyes, Melissa Turner described how "painful" life is without her younger sister Sammy.

The 49-year-old mother from Wickham, Hampshire, had struggled with depression for many years, and her mental health deteriorated after the breakdown of her marriage.

"She was desperate to get help - it should have been escalated and it wasn't," Ms Turner said.

Ms Young had been under the care of her local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and had repeatedly "begged to go to hospital".

But her family said NHS mental health workers had refused help three times in the last 10 days of her life.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, known at the time of Sammy's death as Southern Health, said it was "profoundly sorry" for areas where its care fell short.

'I feel furious'

Despite Ms Young giving consent for her family to be informed about her mental health, her sister only discovered the details of how she had reached out for support after she died.

"[The CMHT] never called me. The first time they called me was after she died. I feel furious about that," Ms Turner said.

It was revealed in an inquest that her sister had sought help from multiple sources in the days before her death.

"She tried 111, 999, and the out-of-hours telephone service for the CMHT - which wasn't answered on several occasions," Ms Turner said.

"She knew she couldn't keep herself safe and nothing changed.

"My poor sister, the efforts she went to, what more could she have done?"

Sammy Young worked as a teaching assistant in a primary school and "loved children"

Julia Reynolds, a partner at law firm Leigh Day who is working with the family, said NHS staff failed to properly assess Ms Young's risk or provide additional support.

And coroner Henry Charles highlighted issues in the way the NHS trust contacts the families of its patients.

In a prevention of future deaths report, he said the trust should review procedures concerning "communication with family and friends of people with mental health difficulties".

He raised concerns about a "lack of training" in relation to the "compilation of risk assessments".

"[Ms Young] had done all she could to help herself and remain in the life of her daughter," he added.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation said it "fully accepted" the findings of the coroner.

'Totally failed'

Ms Turner believes mental health services across the country need radical improvement, and has called on Healthy Secretary Wes Streeting to act.

"We would like him to look at services and actually see what is not happening," she said.

"Follow some cases and find people are on a merry-go-round of 'hand-patting' visits and phone calls, that they are not accessing therapeutic services, so they will not get better.

"Sammy was failed by the NHS, totally failed."

Sammy Young consented to her family knowing about her mental health, but they were not contacted in the days before her death

In a statement, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are deeply saddened by Sammy's death and our thoughts are with her family and friends.

"Following this incident, we carried out a full investigation and have identified where our care fell short, for which we are profoundly sorry."

The trust said it was committed to doing everything it could to put in place the necessary changes to prevent anything similar happening again.

"This includes clearer risk assessment processes, stronger follow-up procedures and better involvement of families and carers," it added.

Melissa Turner wants to see improvements to mental health services

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson gave its "sincerest sympathies" to Ms Young's family.

"No patient should be left without the vital mental health support they need," it said.

The government was committed to reducing suicide rates and taking decisive action to boost mental health support across the country, it said.

"We are transforming services with an extra £688m, hiring 8,500 additional mental health workers, delivering more talking therapies and providing better access to support through the NHS App.

"We consider all Prevention of Future Death Reports carefully and will respond in due course."

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.