Girl, 12, who died after being found unresponsive at psychiatric unit failed on multiple levels, inquest finds

A tragic inquest has concluded that 12-year-old Mia Lucas, who died following an incident of self-harm, was failed on multiple levels by the healthcare professionals responsible for her care.

Mia, who passed away in January 2024, was found unresponsive at the Becton Centre, an NHS children’s psychiatric facility under Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. She had been transferred there after being sectioned at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham, where she experienced an acute psychotic episode.

On Thursday, a jury at Sheffield Coroner’s Court determined that the failure to conduct a lumbar puncture at QMC before Mia’s transfer may have contributed to her death. A lumbar puncture is a procedure used to identify whether symptoms are caused by conditions affecting the brain or spinal cord.

Pathologist Professor Marta Cohen reported that Mia died from “compression of the neck”, but clarified that this occurred during a state of acute psychosis. She revealed new post-mortem findings indicating that Mia had autoimmune encephalitis – a rare but treatable neurological condition that causes severe psychiatric symptoms. This diagnosis only emerged during the nine-day inquest, prompting visible shock and tears from Mia’s family.

Consultant paediatric neurologist Dr. Mike Taylor described the condition as “complex and rare”, noting that clinicians at QMC had a low level of suspicion at the time. He explained that doctors must balance the need for invasive tests with the risk of severe treatment side effects.

The jury further found that staff at the Becton Centre failed to adequately manage Mia’s known risk of self-harm.

Mia’s mother, Chloe Hayes, expressed deep disappointment with the supervision her daughter received.
“All they had to do was watch her,” she told Sky News. “I didn’t know the truth about her self-harm attempts until after she died. If I had known, I would never have left her there. She had so much to live for. I don’t think she understood what she was doing.”

In a statement, Mrs Hayes emphasised that Mia’s unusual and extreme behaviour only appeared in the final weeks of her life.
“For the other 12 years, she was a beautiful soul who loved life and loved her family. That is how we want her to be remembered,” she said, describing her daughter as a “happy, fun, friendly girl who had so much to live for.”

If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available:

• Samaritans: 116 123 (UK) or jo@samaritans.org

• Mind: 0300 102 1234

• NHS: Call 111 for urgent mental health support.