Teen suicide puts hospital in spotlight
PHOEBE WEARNE, The West Australian
February 24, 2011, 2:35 am
Police are investigating the case of a teenager who committed suicide after running away from one of the State's biggest regional hospitals, where he was being treated for depression.
The parents of Jesse Dellar, 17, are demanding a coronial inquest into the death of their son, who took his own life after leaving Albany Hospital on November 27.
Albany police have confirmed they are investigating the death for State Coroner Alastair Hope, who will decide whether to hold an inquest.
The WA Country Health Service said recommendations from an internal review into Jesse's death were still being finalised.
Albany Hospital has been at the centre of four coronial inquests in the past four years, including a 2009 inquest on Kieran Watmore, 17, who died at the hospital in 2008 after being admitted for tonsillitis.
Mr Hope found "systemic deficiencies" in the Health Department and a failure by nursing staff to properly monitor Kieran's condition were to blame for his death.
Health Minister Kim Hames later apologised to the Watmore family. In a letter dated February 3, Dr Hames told Kieran's father, Jim, the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office would conduct an independent investigation into the implementation of the Coroner's recommendations.
Jesse's mother, Shelley Nottle, said her son should have been admitted to Albany Hospital's G-ward, a secure facility where mental health patients are kept under a high level of observation.
Ms Nottle said the hospital's observation of her son had instead been scaled back and he had tried to commit suicide in his hospital room on the day he ran away.
She said she wanted to know how he had been able to escape hospital care when he was at risk of self-harm.
"I'm heartbroken because I'm never going to get my son back," Ms Nottle said. "He was a beautiful kid with all the friends in the world.
"People say to me it's going to get better, but it doesn't. You feel a loss every day. It's torn me apart."
Albany police will report to the Coroner next month.
source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/8895578/teen-suicide-puts-hospital-in-spotlight/
