A mum whose teenage son was found standing over a motorway bridge says she is desperate for help.
The 19-year-old, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and is currently on a waiting list for adult mental health services, was found by friends on a bridge above the M56 this month.
He was taken to the Emergency Department at Wythenshawe Hospital, where he was seen by a mental health worker from Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust.
His devastated mum, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was shocked after claims her son was discharged from hospital the same night.
He wasn't referred for any further help, she said.
She said her son is still waiting to be prescribed medication for his ADHD.
He hasn't received any support since he was discharged from child mental health services at 18.
"I am finding the lack of available support very frustrating," she told the Manchester Evening News .
"There seems to be this focus about mental health during the pandemic but when you try to reach out the services just aren't there.
Her son lost his dad year, which has been compounded by the detrimental effects of the national lockdown.
"He's still got a lot of grieving to do and with his condition it doesn't make it easy," she said.
"Since we have gone into lockdown he has really missed the gym and his friends. I know everyone has but he has really struggled with that."
The teenager went out to meet friends against his mum's advice on the evening of February 4.
She didn't hear from her son again until she received a phone call at 2am from a friend, to say he was on a bridge above the M56.
"His friends managed to pull him back over and flagged down a passing ambulance," she said.
The mum met her son at Wythenshawe Hospital where she said they waited for six hours to be seen by a member of the mental health team.
"It just felt pointless," she said.
"The mental health worker just asked my son whether he was going to do it again and gave him a bit of paper with a bunch of phone numbers that you can't even get through to.
"I don’t understand why the hospital didn’t keep him for longer. He was on a bridge and they thought that wasn’t enough to keep him in overnight and have a further conversation with him."
She said she expected a more thorough investigation of her son's mood and intentions, before he was released from hospital.
It's the second time her son has expressed an intention to end his life, she said.
"Everything just felt really disjointed," she said.
"I asked if they could extradite any of the current referrals for him but they said no. What has someone got to do to get noticed?
"I just felt that after I had given this person his history and the fact he was on a bridge that would have warranted 24-hour observation.
"It's scary, the services are just not available."
She said she believes a referral should have been made to a home crisis team, but claims this was never discussed or offered by the mental health team.
"We could have been scraping him off the M56 and for me as a parent it is really frustrating that the help isn’t there," she said.
"The services are just not available."
Gill Green, Director of Nursing and Governance at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) said: "Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) runs the Mental Health Liaison Service, based in the hospital setting, across Manchester, Bolton, Salford and Trafford.
"The service assesses people aged 16 and over who are inpatients in Intermediate Care, or who have presented in the Accident and Emergency Department and are experiencing problems with their mental health. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"On arrival to A&E, and in line with safe practice, the A&E Triage Nurse completes a mental health risk assessment with the patient to identify any immediate risks, and then contacts the Mental Health Liaison team to request that a Mental Health Practitioner attends as soon as possible to meet with the patient and complete a risk assessment and care plan.
"The team will seek family opinion and involvement in the assessment and care plan wherever possible to support and inform the holistic care approach. A care plan is then developed collaboratively with the patient to identify needs and solutions and to offer further sources of support post-discharge from the Mental Health Liaison Service.
"The care plan is an individualised document with outcomes directly linked to the patient’s symptoms and the level of risk that they are presenting with.
“The approach the team take is to identify the least restrictive, most supportive option, tailored to the needs of the patient at that time. It is underpinned by a focus on empowering the patient to problem-solve and work towards recovery.
"A copy of the discharge safety plan is given to patients so that they are aware of their options if any further crisis occurs or if their mental health deteriorates."
