26.01.16
Funding cuts to blame for rise in mental health deaths – Lamb
The outspoken former care minister Norman Lamb MP has called for a government investigation into “threadbare” and struggling mental health services after figures showed a considerable spike in the number of mental health patients dying under NHS care.
Figures obtained by Lamb through Freedom of Information requests indicated a 21% rise in the number of annual deaths amongst mental health patients in England in just three years.
The amount of those attempting to or committing suicide also increased by 26% between 2012-13 and 2014-15 – the years during which Lamb was in Parliament.
And the number of “serious incidents” involving unexpected or avoidable deaths, serious harm, injury or abuse has soared by 34% to over 8,000 a year, with one foundation trust reporting such incidents averaging out at nearly twice a day.
Speaking to the Guardian, Lamb compared his findings to the Mid Staffs scandal, during which horrifically low levels of care led to hundreds of deaths at the hospital between 2005 and 2009. He argued his figures should cause the same outcry “because they show a dramatic increase” in the number of people losing their lives.
“NHS England and the government should set up an investigation into the causes of this as these figures involve tragedies for families around the country and the human impact is intense,” he added, blaming the underfunding of struggling services for the stark situation.
Luciana Berger, shadow minister for mental health, agreed that the spike in deaths is “utterly appalling and tragic” and backed calls to translate “empty rhetoric” into firm action in light of surfaced failings.
But she also questioned Lamb’s time at the Department of Health in a Twitter spat between the two politicians, instigating several users to accuse the two of using mental health as a political football instead of holding the government to account for the shocking figures.
Chief executive of Mind, Paul Farmer, argued that every unexpected death should be investigated, not least to learn from past mistakes in order to prevent future tragedies.
The department itself agreed that any death of a person with mental health problems is a tragedy, with a spokesman saying “it’s right that the NHS is open about when they happen and the action that is taken to stop them happening again”.
“As Prof Sir Simon Wessely [president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists] said this morning, these figures are partly a result of improved reporting around serious incidents,” he said.
“We have given the NHS more money for mental health than ever before, with an increase to £11.7bn last year, and are introducing access and waiting time targets for the first time.
“We have made it clear that local NHS services must follow our lead by increasing the amount they spend on mental health and making sure beds are always available.”
(Top image c. Peter Byrne, PA Images)