Concerning the Handling of Health Inequalities and Premature Mortality in Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Patients: An Isolated Institution or Indications of a Broader Culture? (BBC News / Mazars / NHS England)

Summary

If experience at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust is anything to go by, there is plenty of scope for progress. According to a report by Mazars, and commissioned by NHS England, examining deaths at this trust in particular, the NHS failed to investigate thoroughly the unexpected deaths of over 1,000 mental health and learning-disability patients between April 2011 and March 2015.

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Buchanan, M. (2015). NHS trust ‘failed to investigate hundreds of deaths’. London: BBC Health News, December 9^th 2015.

Fall-out:

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NHS failure to probe deaths ‘shocking’ – Jeremy Hunt. London: BBC Health News, December 10^th 2015.

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NHS chief apologises after deaths. London: BBC Health News, December 11^th 2015.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has some remaining concerns, as of April 2016, about Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust:

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Criticised Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust ‘must improve’. London: BBC Health News, April 6^th 2016.

The Inquest charity has evidence that perhaps more than nine young people have died in England as mental health in-patients since 2010.

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Marshall, P. (2016). Mental health deaths under-reported, says charity. London: BBC Health News / BBC One Panorama, April 11th 2016.

More Serious Incidents in English Mental Health Trusts

There were 8,139 serious incidents reported by the 58 mental health trusts in England during 2014-15 (up by over one-third compared to the previous two-year period), according to figures obtained under Freedom of Information (FOI) by the Liberal Democrats:

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Reference

Pym, H. (2016). Rise in serious incidents at English mental health trusts. London: BBC Health News, January 26^th 2016.

April 2016 developments:

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Scandal-hit hospital trust probed over safety breaches. London: BBC Health News, April 29^th 2016.

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Southern Health criticised for putting ‘patients at risk’. London: BBC Health News / BBC South, April 29^th 2016.

Responsibility accepted:

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Connor Sparrowhawk death: Health trust accepts responsibility. London: BBC News, June 9^th 2016.

The final end of the Katrina Percy saga?:

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Former Southern Health boss Katrina Percy quits. London: BBC Health News, October 7^th 2016.

Subsequently:

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All Southern Health non-executive directors resign. [London / Oxford]: BBC Health News / BBC Oxford News, March 16^th 2017.