This inquest has been adjourned
Before HM Coroner Joanne Andrews
Coroner’s Court, County Hall North, Chart Way, Horsham, RH12 1XH
Opens Tuesday 22 October 2024, expected to last 4 days
Ellame Ford-Dunn (pronounced ‘El-Ah-Mee’), was 16 years old when she died after absconding and ligaturing whilst a mental health inpatient at Worthing Hospital. Now an inquest will open to examine the circumstances of her death.
Ellame was the eldest of three children. She loved swimming in the sea with her brother and dancing with her sister. Her family describe her as a people pleaser who always cared more about other people’s feelings than her own.
Ellame had a long history of trauma, suicidal ideation and self-harm. She was autistic and had ADHD and an eating disorder. She was under the care of Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and had spent over 18 months in inpatient mental health care units.
On 18 January 2022 she was discharged from Chalkhill Hospital with s.117 aftercare. On 28 February 2022, Ellame was informally admitted to Bluefin Ward at Worthing Hospital as a result of self-harm.
A few days later, she was detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act after absconding from the hospital and ligaturing. She was placed under 24-hour one-to-one observation by a registered mental health nurse (RMN).
At 8.30pm on 20 March 2022, Ellame absconded from her RMN. Security officers performed a search of the hospital grounds before informing Sussex police.
At 9.30pm, police found Ellame having ligatured in the hospital grounds. An ambulance was called and Ellame was taken into the hospital where she was declared dead shortly after.
The scope of the inquest will examine events from the time of her discharge on 18 January 2022 until and including the events of Ellame’s death on 20 March 2022.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information and to note your interest, please contact Leila Hagmann on [email protected].
The family are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Ilaria Minucci of Birnberg Peirce and Patricia Leonard of 7BR. They are supported by INQUEST Senior Caseworker Jodie Anderson.
Other Interested persons represented are University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, West Sussex County Council, Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Journalists should refer to the Samaritans Media Guidelines for reporting suicide and self-harm and guidance for reporting on inquests.
INQUEST is the only charity providing expertise on state related deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, the media and parliamentarians. Our specialist casework includes death in police and prison custody, immigration detention, mental health settings and deaths involving multi-agency failings or where wider issues of state and corporate accountability are in question, such as the deaths and wider issues around Hillsborough and Grenfell Tower. Our policy, parliamentary, campaigning and media work is grounded in the day to day experience of working with bereaved people.
Please refer to INQUEST the organisation in all capital letters in order to distinguish it from the legal hearing.
Ellame Ford-Dunn
CONTENT WARNING: Please read with care as this page may involve information on death, suicide, mental illness, disability, state neglect, and police and prison violence that some people may find upsetting. If you need support, please visit our support page.
This inquest has been adjourned
Before HM Coroner Joanne Andrews
Coroner’s Court, County Hall North, Chart Way, Horsham, RH12 1XH
Opens Tuesday 22 October 2024, expected to last 4 days
Ellame Ford-Dunn (pronounced ‘El-Ah-Mee’), was 16 years old when she died after absconding and ligaturing whilst a mental health inpatient at Worthing Hospital. Now an inquest will open to examine the circumstances of her death.
Ellame was the eldest of three children. She loved swimming in the sea with her brother and dancing with her sister. Her family describe her as a people pleaser who always cared more about other people’s feelings than her own.
Ellame had a long history of trauma, suicidal ideation and self-harm. She was autistic and had ADHD and an eating disorder. She was under the care of Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and had spent over 18 months in inpatient mental health care units.
On 18 January 2022 she was discharged from Chalkhill Hospital with s.117 aftercare. On 28 February 2022, Ellame was informally admitted to Bluefin Ward at Worthing Hospital as a result of self-harm.
A few days later, she was detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act after absconding from the hospital and ligaturing. She was placed under 24-hour one-to-one observation by a registered mental health nurse (RMN).
At 8.30pm on 20 March 2022, Ellame absconded from her RMN. Security officers performed a search of the hospital grounds before informing Sussex police.
At 9.30pm, police found Ellame having ligatured in the hospital grounds. An ambulance was called and Ellame was taken into the hospital where she was declared dead shortly after.
The scope of the inquest will examine events from the time of her discharge on 18 January 2022 until and including the events of Ellame’s death on 20 March 2022.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information and to note your interest, please contact Leila Hagmann on [email protected].
The family are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Ilaria Minucci of Birnberg Peirce and Patricia Leonard of 7BR. They are supported by INQUEST Senior Caseworker Jodie Anderson.
Other Interested persons represented are University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, West Sussex County Council, Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Journalists should refer to the Samaritans Media Guidelines for reporting suicide and self-harm and guidance for reporting on inquests.
INQUEST is the only charity providing expertise on state related deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, the media and parliamentarians. Our specialist casework includes death in police and prison custody, immigration detention, mental health settings and deaths involving multi-agency failings or where wider issues of state and corporate accountability are in question, such as the deaths and wider issues around Hillsborough and Grenfell Tower. Our policy, parliamentary, campaigning and media work is grounded in the day to day experience of working with bereaved people.
Please refer to INQUEST the organisation in all capital letters in order to distinguish it from the legal hearing.
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