Latest News
19 January 2012
Large numbers of MH Homicide Inquiries due in North of England
Recent board papers of NHS North of England Strategic Health Authority have revealed 41 outstanding mental health homicide inquiries in the North of England.
Of the 41, 19 are from NHS North West. 13 from NHS Yorks and Humber, and 9 from NHS North East.
The paper reports that 16 inquiry reports are due to be published between January and March 2012.
16 January 2012
Hundredfamilies in the media
After the release of four mental health homicide inquiries in the South West – which all highlighted significant failings in care – Hundredfamilies was interviewed on BBC Points West, BBC Radio Bristol, Radio Swindon and BBC Radio Wiltshire.
11th January 2012
Royal College of Nursing fears increase in Mental health homicides and suicides
In a wide ranging article for the Nursing Times Peter Carter, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing voiced concerns for the future of mental health services in Britain because of funding cuts in the NHS, which could lead to a ‘fairly constant stream of inquiries into homicides and suicides’.
December 1 2011
High numbers of Mental Health Homicides in North West
and South West
As NHS Strategic Health Authorities are merging, new information is coming to light about the very high number of mental health homicides in some regions.
According to the official documents, 38 mental health homicides have occurred in NHS North West, 23 in the NHS South West and 18 in NHS South Central.
Other Strategic Heath Authorities do not appear to have published homicide statistics.
The time period over which these homicides occurred is not given, but SHAs first came into being in 2006.
Of the 38 homicides in the North West, 20 will apparently not be subject to external investigation, as they’ve been deemed not to meet the full criteria for investigation. There is no information on how this decision was taken, who took it and on what basis.
Of the 23 mental health homicides in the South West, eleven involve just one trust – Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Trust, which covers Bristol and Swindon and surrounding areas. The figures are included in NHS ‘Handover’ documents.
The NHS North West figures are paragraph 14.2 in the middle of this document.
NHS South West figures are in paragraph 3.81 of this document.
NHS South Central is on p 22/3 here.
November 10 2011
MENTAL HEALTH MOST VIOLENT AREA OF NHS
New figures confirm that Mental Health continues to be the most violent sector of the NHS – with 39,321 physical assaults on staff in 2010/11.
NHS Mental health staff experienced nearly three times as many violent assaults as their colleagues in A&E. (13,436 attacks were recorded in acute services over the same period).
The official figures from NHS Protect show there were 195 assaults recorded for every 1000 mental health staff, 40 assaults for every 1000 ambulance workers, and 17 for every 1000 people working in acute services.
Physical assault is defined as “The intentional application of force to the person by another without lawful justification, resulting in physical injury or personal discomfort.”
More than 27,000 mental health assaults were found to have involved ‘medical factors’ where “the perpetrator did not know what they were doing, or did not know what they were doing was wrong due to medical illness, mental ill health, severe learning disability or treatment administered.”
The UK's biggest union, UNISON, called for urgent action: “The increase in violence against nurses, paramedics and other NHS staff in England is a national disgrace.…It is no good saying that some of these assaults were the result of a patient’s medical condition, staff have a right to a safe working environment.”
The Health minister, Simon Burns, was reported as saying: “Violence and aggression towards NHS staff is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Staff should be able to carry out their work without fear of violence.”
August 23 2011
Mental Health Review Tribunal Judges names revealed for first time
Following a Freedom of Information request by Hundredfamilies, the Tribunals Service has now revealed the names of all 942 Mental Health Tribunal Judges in England and Wales, following an earlier refusal. Mental Health Tribunals have in the past been roundly criticised in for their secrecy and lack of transparency in disclosing decisions or the reasons for them. The Tribunals Service however declined to disclose where the Judges usually sit – saying they could sit anywhere in the country.
MHRT Judges – Full list  79kb
Information correct at 23 August 2011
Source: Tribunals Service
July 28 2011
ITV West talks to Hundredfamilies
Julian Hendy was interviewed by ITV West news about Mental Health Homicides following the publication of three Independent Investigations by NHS South West.
July 6 2011
Hundredfamilies at Seminar for Inquiry Officials
Julian Hendy spoke at a seminar at University College London on Mental Health Homicide Investigations and the importance of involving victim’s families.
June 2011
The number of mental health homicides are increasing according to a revealing article from the British Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers from Manchester University found the number of homicide perpetrators with schizophrenia have increased at a rate of 4% per year, whilst those with psychotic symptoms at the time of the offence increased by 6% per year, according to figures from England and Wales between 1997 and 2006. The authors think that increased drug misuse may account for this.
SOURCE: Swinson, N., Flynn, S., While, D., Roscoe, A., Kapur, N., Appleby, L. & Shaw, J (2011). Trends in rates of mental illness in homicide perpetrators. Br J Psychiatry, 198, 485-9
April 10 2011
Scandal of mentally ill man who killed his father, was then released...and killed his mother
Mail on Sunday publishes Julian Hendy’s article on the poor investigation of Mental Health Homicides.
Nov 30 2010
NHS South West publishes Inquiry into the care and treatment of Stephen Newton who killed Philip Hendy in Bristol in 2007.
Press Release
Background Information
Daily Mail Report Dec 2nd 2010
Nov 11 2010
Royal College of Psychiatrists deletes misleading and inaccurate information about violence and the mentally ill from their website following intervention from Hundredfamilies.org
more...
Nov 8 2010
Ofcom finds in favour of Why did you kill my Dad?
(Download Ofcom's Adjudication Report 241kb)
Oct 11 2010
Julian Hendy was invited onto BBC Radio Somerset for a discussion on mental health and violence.
Sept 29 2010
Why did you kill may Dad? featured in a national colloquium on Mental Health Homicide Inquiries hosted by the Heath and Social Care Advisory Service (HASCAS)
July 14 2010
Julian Hendy was a guest speaker at a National Patient Safety Agency national meeting on homicide inquiries
June 14 2010
Why did you kill my Dad? wins Royal Television Society Yorkshire Factual Programme of the year award
May 25 2010
 Julian Hendy was a guest speaker at the national Patient Safety 2010 Congress in Birmingham.
The magazine Health Business UK wrote
Human factors played a significant part in the Congress and some of the most thought provoking sessions were those which told real life stories. In the emotionally charged presentations, Julian Hendy and Clare Bowen's heartbreaking tales of personal tragedy had the audience in tears and served as a hugely powerful reminder of why the event is so important more...
|
