Yahoo News Mum's anger as son, 22, died after 'begging for help that never came'
On November 4 2022, Vicki McCormick received a message that brought her world crashing down.
The message, sent by her son Callum came in the form of a WhatsApp text. It was a suicide note.
Callum was just 22 when he was hit by a train. He had been struggling with his mental health for months, and had begged a nurse to section him just one day before he took his own life - but he was told there were no beds available, and that a mental health team would be in touch the next morning.
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After waiting until 11am with no word from the hospital, Callum left the house sending a final WhatsApp message to his mum at 11.13am, telling her he loved her, his dad, and his family and that he "couldn't stand the pain any more."
It was not until 11.45am that a member of the home-based treatment team arrived at Callum’s house - by which time he was dead.
Vicki, from Wigan, said: "The last I heard from Callum was his suicide note. He thought I was on the plane at the time, coming back from Tunisia - but I was stuck in the airport. He didn't know my flight had been delayed.
"As soon as the message came through I didn't even ring Callum because I knew he wouldn't pick up. I rang my daughter, who was already running to the station - but by that point it was too late. Callum was already dead."
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said it continues to see sustained demand for mental health inpatient services in Greater Manchester, and that it works closely with other providers in the region to safely reduce demand wherever possible.
Two years on from Callum's tragic death, Vicki firmly believes her son was failed by the system - as he had desperately sought help from both his GP and specialist mental health teams.
He was seen by a health professional on October 19 and a letter was emailed to his GP at Longshoot Health Centre saying Callum should be prescribed anti-depressants and referred to a community link worker. But the letter was not marked as “urgent” and it was wrongly assumed an appointment had been made. It was only after Callum’s parents saw the practice manager on October 26 that the anti-depressants were prescribed.
On November 2, Callum's relationship ended causing his existing depression to spiral out of control. He was taken to Wigan Infirmary’s A&E, where he was assessed by mental health nurse practitioner and found to be “high risk”. But there were no beds available, and so Callum was discharged under the care of the home-based treatment team.
At around 5.30pm on November 3, he told a senior nurse practitioner he wanted to end his life, but again there were no hospital beds available, and so the nurse arranged for Callum to be discussed at a meeting the next day.
Vicki said: "Callum was a firecracker. He made everybody laugh. He was the life and soul of the party. He was just brilliant, always dancing, always joking. He did drama and dance in college. Always he just lit up the room, and if you were having the worst day ever, his laugh would change it.
"He was my best mate. There wasn't a day went by I didn't speak to him, the same with his dad and sister. We had a tight knit relationship. If I went out, it was with Callum. We went bowling and to the pictures. We weren't your usual family, we were a lot closer.
"But he came out of a relationship in February. That really affected his mood and took a lot out of him. But because he wasn't feeling suicidal there was nothing they could do. We booked a holiday in June and he wasn't in the right frame of mind to go but he went anyway and he met a girl, and that brought him right up."
However, he continued to struggle with his mental health, and nose-dived when this new relationship also broke down.
Vicki said: "When the crisis team came out (on November 3) the woman was so concerned about him she decided to section him under the Mental Health Act. Everything was discussed. She made the phone call. She said she was very concerned. It was a three minute conversation, and they were told they had no beds. and that was the end of the phone call. And that was it.
She continued: "Callum fell through every single net. He told them several times he couldn't keep himself safe. He told the hospital, he told the crisis team, but they wouldn't listen. They said they would come for him in the morning. They didn't come until it was too late.
"He hung on as long as he could. He was up at 5am that morning and hung on until 11am. But he didn't even get a phone-call to say there had been a delay - nothing. When we got his phone back there was a missed call at 1.10pm that day from the crisis team. Callum was dead by then.
"They are letting people down. It's not working. Even after opening up the new mental health suite in the hospital, I'm still hearing of kids passing away. Two months after Callum passed away one of his friends took his own life in the woods. Some of them don't ask for help, some do. Our Callum continuously asked for help. He was begging for help. And yet he was left."
John Foley, Chief Operating Officer at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We express our heartfelt condolences to Callum McCormick’s family following his sad death.
"We continue to see sustained demand for mental health inpatient services in Greater Manchester, and operate with high occupancy rates. We are working closely with other providers in the region and our commissioners to work to safely reduce this demand wherever possible by developing effective community crisis alternatives.
“Where an inpatient admission is required, our top priority is always to place patients in the most suitable bed as soon as possible. We allocate all beds based on priority of risk and treatment required. We assess our bed capacity on a daily basis and in cases where there are no available beds in our inpatient units, we request mental health beds from alternative providers.
"Unfortunately, there can still be occasions where patients need to wait for an inpatient bed, and in these instances we follow robust safeguarding and care planning processes to keep people as safe as possible. Support from our Home-Based Treatment Teams is available to patients 24/7, which includes thorough care planning and home visits.
"Our 24/7 mental health crisis helpline is available free of charge for anyone who requires urgent support; and we offer a number of community spaces called ‘crisis cafes’ across the region where individuals can go for out of hours support and advice from trained mental health workers, including the Mental Health Support Hub at the Lea Baker Café in Leigh.
“Urgent help and support is also available from our Mental Health Liaison Service via A&E departments. Last year we opened 'The Makerfield Suite' at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan - an area which provides a calm and comfortable environment for people in a mental health crisis, away from the main A&E waiting area.
“We are very sorry that we could not do more to help Callum and our thoughts remain with everyone who has been affected by this tragedy.”
Helplines and support groups
The following are helplines and support networks for people to talk to, mostly listed on the NHS Choices website
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
CALM Campaign Against Living Miserably (0800 58 58 58) is a leading movement against suicide. It runs a UK helpline and webchat from 5pm to midnight 365 days a year for anyone who has hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.
PANDAS (0808 1961 776) runs a free helpline and offers a support service for people who may be suffering with perinatal mental illness, including prenatal (antenatal) and postnatal depression plus support for their family or network.
Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.
PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.
Amparo provides emotional and practical support for anyone who has been affected by a suicide. This includes dealing with police and coroners; helping with media enquiries; preparing for and attending an inquest and helping to access other, appropriate, local support services. Call 0330 088 9255 or visit www.amparo.org.uk for more details.
Hub of Hope is the UK’s most comprehensive national mental health support database. Download the free app, visit hubofhope.co.uk or text HOPE to 85258 to find relevant services near you.
Young Persons Advisory Service – Providing mental health and emotional wellbeing services for Liverpool’s children, young people and families. tel: 0151 707 1025 email: support@ypas.org.uk
Paul's Place - providing free counselling and group sessions to anyone living in Merseyside who has lost a family member or friend to suicide. Tel: 0151 226 0696 or email: paulsplace@beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk
The Martin Gallier Project - offering face to face support for individuals considering suicide and their families. Opening hours 9.30-16.30, 7 days a week. Tel: 0151 644 0294 email: triage@gallierhouse.co.uk
James' Place - supports men over 18 who are experiencing a suicidal crisis by providing quick access to therapy and support. Call 0151 303 5757 from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 5.30pm or visit https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/
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