A mother has condemned what she says is “disgusting” care of her teenage daughter who suffers from mental health problems.

Karen Pemble, of Collar Makers Green, Ash, took her 17-year-old daughter Hayley to the QEQM Hospital in Margate on Sunday evening with self-harm injuries.

Hayley suffers with psychosis and was experiencing hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.

Her mother explained that she was forced to take her daughter to the hospital as the mental health services do not operate out of hours. Ms Pemble claims she was offered a bed but declined because it was on a busy ward which left her lying on the floor of the private room without a pillow.

The East Kent Hospital Trust claims a bed was offered to the family in the quiet room but that she chose to lie on the floor instead.

Ms Pemble added: “She was laying on that floor thinking someone is going to kill her and she’s laying there with no pillow. It’s disgusting. They found her a bed but with other people, which would be putting other patients at risk from my daughter who has a voice in her head telling her to kill everybody.

“It just made me realise, they actually have no idea about mental health at all.

“No one even asked to look at her cuts. I had to ask four times for them to be dressed. The care was just not there.”

The mum and former care worker, 45, is now calling for better mental health care across the county.

This has been echoed by MP Charlie Elphicke who has written to the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt asking him to investigate the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services agency.

Ms Pemble said: “If you have a psychotic episode past five o’clock, that’s it, you’re on your own."

MP Charlie Elphicke wants the government to investigate the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services agency.

He said: “This is just appalling. We cannot treat people in need in this way, we’ve got to look after people that have mental health issues in a compassionate way.

“I wrote to the health secretary about my specific concerns with Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, to explain that the service is simply inadequate after failing young people and that improvements need to be made.

“I asked him to make an investigation on this.”

“This is just appalling. We cannot treat people in need in this way, we’ve got to look after people that have mental health issues in a compassionate way" - MP Charlie Elphicke

Mr Elphicke explained that he is very concerned about the level of mental health care in east Kent.

A spokesman for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are sorry that Ms Pemble has concerns about the care her daughter received while she was in our A&E department.

“We provided a quiet room and offered a comfortable bed. We would be happy to talk to the family about their concerns.”

CAMHS has not commented on the case.

For the full story read this week's East Kent Mercury - out now.