A YOUNG woman battling a severe eating disorder - who will die if she continues to lose weight - has been failed by ‘inadequate’ mental health services, her worried family say.
Leah Senior, 20, has suffered with anorexia since she was 14 and has spent the last five years in and out of hospital and specialist units.
After becoming distressed and aggressive towards staff while in Rharian Fields eating disorders unit, Leah was transferred to Kendray Hospital - where her mum Lisa Gray claims she was not given a structured meal plan, on occasion only eating salad for dinner.
Now back at home in Spark Lane, Mapplewell, she has no access to the vital support she needs to overcome her condition.
“There’s no help available for her,” said Lisa, 47.
“Things should have been put in place better. They can’t just dump her somewhere with no special care.
“It’s not the staff’s fault, it’s the system that’s wrong.
“We can either leave her to lose more weight or bring her home which is not ideal. And if she loses any more weight, she’s called back to Kendray where she is not getting the level of support she needs.
“The simple fact of the matter is that if my daughter doesn’t eat, she will die.”
Leah, who used to be a dancer alongside her identical twin Anna, was 14-years-old when she developed anorexia nervosa.
Her current weight is 36.5kg, or about 5st 10lbs, and her body mass index is 15.8 - defined as underweight by NHS England.
“We were travelling all over the country,” Lisa said.
“We were a normal family. Leah and her sister were dancers.
“It’s the cruellest illness I’ve ever come across. It’s taken away so many opportunities, she should have gone to college and university like her sister.”
Leah was admitted to the Becton Centre in Sheffield in 2015, following a referral from the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team in Barnsley.
She was in Becton until she reached 18, when she was sectioned and transferred to Rharian Fields.
However, Leah discharged herself once the order expired. And for a while, Leah’s condition lessened and she could regain a sense of normality, benefiting from support from CAMHS and community care - but this was short-lived.
“Leah began to obsessively clean the house and exercise,” said Lisa.
“It soon became apparent that she was unable to manage and she was then admitted to Riverdale eating disorder clinic in Sheffield.”
As Leah was not detained, she discharged herself and returned to community care.
But she struggled to keep on top of her condition and was detained in Kendray Hospital before being transferred back to Rharian Fields in October.
“At this point Leah’s illness had completely took over her life and our family life,” said Lisa.
“She became aggressive towards her family, in particular myself.
“I was being verbally and physically abused on a daily basis.
“She was also aggressive towards her twin sister Anna and began smashing things around the house.
“The illness had completely consumed Leah. She took two overdoses of her medication and had to go to hospital.”
While in Rharian Fields, Leah’s weight plummeted and her obsession with cleaning and exercising spiralled.
She stopped responding to treatment, and after becoming aggressive towards staff and attempting to escape she was sent to Kendray on March 5.
“I understand that the relationship had broken down due to Leah’s behaviour, however just to ship her out with no support package is simply beyond my comprehension and her behaviour had escalated as a result of punitive measures,” said Lisa.
“Leah felt like a caged animal who, in turn, turned on the people who had kept her locked inside all day everyday.”
After a suspected bleed on the brain caused by stress, Lisa herself went into intensive care over Christmas and is yet to return to work, while her daughter remains in limbo.
“Our relationship has been a lot better, but it did break down,” said Lisa.
“It got really quite strained and it’s taken its toll on the family.
“It could get to that point again, but I’m prepared for that. I’m her mum
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LEAH’S experience has led Barnsley MP and South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis to call for an urgent re-examination of the services available.
“Although eating disorders are now recognised as a severe mental health condition requiring specialist treatment, there is a worrying disparity between services for children and over 18s,” said Mr Jarvis.
“Which leaves young adults like Leah without the support and treatment they urgently need. I am extremely concerned for Leah’s wellbeing since being discharged from hospital and have raised my concerns with South West Yorkshire Foundation Trust (SWYFT).
“With Leah’s permission, I have also written to the health minister to share her experience and raise concerns about the current provision for adults suffering from this devastating illness.”
Chris Lennox, SWYFT deputy director of operations for Wakefield and Barnsley, said the trust could not comment on individual cases, adding: “In all our services we aim to deliver the best care possible in line with our commissioning agreements and Trust values.”
A meeting was recently held with representatives from Coventry, who declined a bed for Leah based on her low BMI, a lack of capacity for two-to-one care, and inadequate staffing to deal with anorexia.
