Blackpool mum terrified for safety of daughter who tried to kill herself tells Harbour: “I’m scared she’ll be dead within a month”

The young woman, who the Gazette is not naming, has previously attempted suicide but is scheduled to return home from the mental health facility, off Preston New Road.

Her mum described how she pleaded with medics to keep her daughter in longer, saying she was not yet well enough to be released.

She said: “I’m scared she’ll be dead within a month.”

The young woman was sectioned last year after trying to kill herself and her mother says she has since been self-harming. The concerned mum said she dreads that she will one day pick up the phone to police telling her her daughter has taken her own life.

But Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs The Harbour, said it was “standard practice to put in place support and discharge arrangements that are appropriate to a patient’s needs”.

The young woman said she wanted to leave the hospital – but agreed with her mum that she probably wasn’t ready.

The mother, who lives in Blackpool, said: “I was the one who wanted her to be sectioned and they finally did when she tried to kill herself five times in two days. But since then she has got even worse. She’s told me all she needs to do is save up for two weeks and then she’ll be able to overdose.

“She’s not ready to be on her own. She was supposed to go into supported living, so I spoke to her social worker and asked why she was being sent back to her flat.

“I feel like she has been brushed off. The whole family is against her going back to that flat.”

The woman has struggled with her mental health for eight years following a family tragedy and has battled problems with alcohol and drugs.

The mum said she called The Harbour daily in April to talk about the plans to discharge her daughter, but did not get a response until a social services advisor got in touch on her behalf.

“I feel helpless,” she said. “My hands are tied and there’s nothing I can do.”

“I want to get supported living for her,” she added. “She can’t be living on her own and she won’t live with family – and to be honest I don’t know how I can support her because of how bad she is mentally.

“It’s scaring me to death thinking I’m going to get that knock on the door or that phone call saying she has taken her own life.”

Interim director of nursing and quality at Lancashire Care Paul Lumsdon said the trust always listens to relatives’ concerns.

He added: “We are disappointed that a patient’s family member has chosen to go to the media before the patient has been discharged.

“Nevertheless, we are concerned to hear of the issues raised by the family member in this case.

“We respect our patient’s confidentiality therefore we cannot discuss individual patients but can assure our community that patient safety is always our priority.

“It is standard practice to put in place support and discharge arrangements that are appropriate to a patient’s needs to ensure their safety and wellbeing.”