Hundreds of mental health patients dying after NHS care failures

[Northerner]

At least 271 highly vulnerable mental health patients have died over the last six years after failings in NHS care, a Guardian investigation has found.

Coroners have been so alarmed at the lapses in care that emerged during inquests that they issued legal warnings to 136 NHS bodies, mainly providers of care, between 2012 and 2017. They included mental health trusts, acute hospitals, ambulance services and GP surgeries.

Mental health campaigners said the findings were shocking and claimed that many of the deaths were avoidable and constituted a “tragedy”.

“It is not acceptable that some trusts fail in some of the most fundamental requirements of providing care, with catastrophic consequences,” said Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind.

“Every one of these deaths is a tragedy, and it must be deeply difficult for families already having to come to terms with losing a loved one to learn that their death could have been prevented,” added Farmer, who chaired NHS England’s taskforce in 2015-16 on improving mental health care.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...health-patients-dying-after-nhs-care-failures

 

[Hazel]

Over the last few months I have heard dreadful stories of mental health patients put in houses in community - but they are not well enough to go out or look after themselves, needing carers in several times a day, at what cost?
Volunteering at one of the many food banks in East Kilbride, I have seen first hand not just the folks on low incomes, but the alcoholics, drug addicts and some with mental health issues - it is frightening

 

[Northerner]

We keep getting warm words about how mental health provision needs to be improved - but that is the opposite of what is happening, it's getting worse Any government should be ashamed, I honestly don't know how they can sleep at night. The government apparently passed up the opportunity to save the taxpayer £364m over the Carillion affair - such waste is just passed off, but imagine what that might have done for improving mental health care?