Mental Health Solicitors

University of Manchester’s 20th National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH) report has found that more than 200 suicide deaths per year now occur in patients under mental health crisis teams – three times as many as among inpatients.

The reports finds that one-third of patients under crisis resolution/home treatment (CRHT) who died by suicide had been using the service for less than a week – and a third had been discharged from hospital in the previous two weeks.

More than half of the 1,700 mental health patients per year who died by suicide across the UK had a history of alcohol or drug misuse. However, only a small proportion had received specialist substance misuse treatment.

More patients who died by suicide were reported as having been unemployed or homeless – and 13% had experienced serious financial difficulties in the previous three months.

There was a rising incidence of suicides by patients who had been in the UK for less than five years.

The report says there has been a change in risk factors for poor mental health in the last 20 years, with higher rates of isolation, recent self-harm, alcohol and drug misuse and economic adversity in those who died by suicide.

There have been improvements in some aspects of suicide prevention, however, such as ward safety and acceptance of medication.

There has also been a fall in patient homicides overall – but a possible
increase by patients with schizophrenia in England since 2009. The numbers are small and as a result researchers say it is not possible to confirm a clear pattern.

Chief Executive of Mind, Paul Farmer, said:

“This is a comprehensive analysis of suicide not just in the last year, but over a 20-year period. It gives a clear indication of progress made, especially in reducing inpatient suicides – but the report also shows there is a long way to go in achieving a goal of zero suicides.

“Every year, hundreds of people under the care of mental health crisis teams are ending their lives – it’s a tragedy that anybody who is already in touch with services and has asked for help should reach this point.

“NHS mental health services need to be able respond when people reach out – from early treatment to help prevent people becoming more unwell, to an emergency response that can provide urgent, appropriate, local care when someone is at their most vulnerable.

“A new clear objective to reduce suicide levels by ten per cent in the Independent Mental Health Taskforce’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health has been accepted – and Jeremy Hunt has rightly put suicide prevention as a key patient safety issue for the NHS as a whole and beyond.

“It’s vital that the new strategy draws from the learning of this report to put in place a robust plan locally and nationally.

“There are still too many families who have lost loved ones and we need clear action to reduce these tragedies.”

Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is the UK’s largest provider of Legal Aid mental health services and can advise mental health patients on a wide range of issues – including access to NHS mental health services and detention under the Mental Health Act.

Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors regularly visit NHS hospitals to advise on mental health law – and are available across England and Wales at short notice for hospital and police station appointments.

In some cases, Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors may be able to advise the nearest relative or carer of a mental health patient on a range of issues, including initiating treatment reviews where appropriate.

For expert legal advice on mental health law, call the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors Helpline on 020 3114 1124.