North Tyneside MP Mary Glindon raised the tragic case of Cramlington's Charley-Ann Patterson in the House of Commons on Tuesday and demanded Conservative ministers moved to guarantee mental health treatment for children and young people who need it within a month of referral.
During questions for Department of Health and Social Care ministers in Westminster, Ms Glindon referenced Charley-Ann's inquest - which found the 12-year-old died by suicide following serious bullying in October 2020. She had suffered from low mood and anxiety and previously reached out to health services after self-harming on two occasions.
After answering a question regarding how long children and young people wait for NHS mental health treatment, Health minister Maria Caulfield agreed to meet with Ms Glindon to discuss her campaigning on this issue. Following the inquest, Senior Coroner Andrew Hetherington said he would contact the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care about lessons to be learned from the heartbreaking case.
