Mother of teen allowed to leave hospital before suicide calls for change
A Perth teenager who took her own life within hours of leaving hospital had attempted suicide 25 minutes before being allowed to leave, a review finds, as her mother calls for improvements to mental health care.
Hailee Hildebrandt, an 18-year-old teen, tragically took her own life on January 13 after being discharged from Fiona Stanley Hospital, where she had been a mental health patient. The hospital report found that Hailee had attempted suicide just 25 minutes before she was allowed to leave the facility. She had also made explicit statements expressing her intention to take her own life prior to her discharge.
Hailee's mother, Stacey Hildebrandt, expressed shock and disappointment, stating that her daughter should not have been permitted to leave the hospital and that improvements are necessary in the mental health care system.
Stacey alleged that the hospital had previously reached out to her, and thus should have had Hailee's phone number on file. Furthermore, she was not informed of the removal of her daughter as the next of kin. Stacey questioned how a patient in such a fragile state could remove their next of kin information.
The clinical incident review suggested 21 recommendations to address potential improvements in processes, policies, and training. These recommendations included developing a procedure for identifying a support person when no next of kin is identified, and creating a "red flag" process for leave or discharge planning in such scenarios.
The South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) has acknowledged all recommendations and is actively working towards implementing them. SMHS spokespersons expressed regret for Hailee's death, assured the family of their support, and emphasized that no system can completely eliminate risks associated with complex mental health conditions.
Meanwhile, the Mental Health Minister, Meredith Hammond, has assured that all recommendations will be fully implemented, and has requested a further investigation by a New South Wales child and adolescent psychiatrist. Stacey Hildebrandt called for concrete outcomes from these reviews, stating that learning from tragedies and making necessary changes is crucial in providing better care to other families in Western Australia.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
