Dr Cox, a clinical director for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) at AWP, said: “We made the difficult decision to close the unit on the grounds of safety and quality.”
Asked about plans to provide a replacement adolescent inpatient service in the region, Dr Cox said there was a commitment to establish a new unit but no confirmed timetable.
As a result of the closure, young people requiring an inpatient admission are currently placed elsewhere across the south west.
Dr Cox said children from the Bristol area could now be admitted to units in places such as Dorset, Cornwall or Plymouth, depending on clinical need and bed availability.
The hearing also examined recommendations arising from a Patient Safety Incident Investigation (PSII), which was launched after Lucy’s death under the NHS national framework for serious incidents.
Dr Cox said governance arrangements were in place to monitor progress and that findings were reported to the trust board.
One recommendation related to staffing arrangements at Riverside.
Jurors previously heard that on 27 December 2023 three healthcare assistants arrived at the unit to shadow staff, despite frontline workers being unaware they were coming.
Dr Cox said changes had since been implemented.
“These shifts can no longer be booked without prior authorisation from the nurse in charge and they have authority to turn people away on the day they arrive,” she said.
She added that nurses leading a shift should be empowered to make operational decisions and said having three shadow staff on a ward at the same time would now be considered highly unusual.
“Looking forward, you would expect no more than one member of shadow staff,” she said.
The trust has also introduced changes to clarify staff responsibilities and strengthen induction processes.