Ashtons Legal welcomes pledges to change the way the NHS deals with suicides

Posted 19/01/2015

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are today outlining their respective initiatives for the NHS to change its approach to mental health care. Proper consideration of, and publicity for, this issue is welcome news to Ashtons Legal medical injury lawyers who have been increasingly concerned about the inadequacy of mental health provision, particularly in East Anglia, in recent years.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg said yesterday on the Andrew Marr show that he was looking for the NHS to sign up to a “zero suicide” campaign whereas Labour are suggesting more money be spent on mental wellbeing of children. Approximately 4,700 deaths a year result from suicides and a large proportion of those are men. Mr Clegg’s initiative is to adopt the approach from the Henry Ford Medical Group in Detroit where following appropriate training, more interaction with patients and better education and support for families, their suicide rate fell by 75% in four years.

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental Health Charity Sane has said “Any reduction in suicides pledged by the government will never be achieved until it is accepted that Psychiatric beds and units must be restored or replaced, and that we do not rely on overstretched crisis teams.”

Sharon Allison, a medical injury lawyer from Ashtons Legal, says: “I agree with Marjorie Wallace wholeheartedly. I have been litigating these cases for the last eight years and the cause of the majority of these suicides are depressingly predictable. Lack of consistent community team involvement, avoidance of overburdened practitioners who simply don’t have the time to devote to these particularly vulnerable patients and completely disjointed working relationships amongst different health professionals are just a few of the common themes we see time and time again.”

“Community care is only as good as the resources that are put into it. Families are struggling to cope with their loved ones and there is nowhere to turn. I absolutely welcome any initiative that may bring about this much needed change however I rather suspect that appropriate mental health care will cost more money than is currently on offer.”

Sharon Allison is currently litigating a case in the High Court in relation to the death of Philip Baker who committed suicide following a longstanding history of Bipolar Disorder. The main thrust of the allegations of negligence in that case is the lack of multidisciplinary input from a community team to support Mr Baker and his family and premature discharge from the mental health service. Sharon Allison says: “Whilst I cannot discuss the specifics of this case whilst it remains at trial, the fundamental issues in that case are the same for a number of other cases this firm are handling. Nick Clegg is absolutely right that suicide is preventable but the number of bereaved families currently approaching us for advice shows that drastic action is required to make this a reality.”