Charne Petit
26 Sept 2024 · Coroner Caroline Topping · Surrey
This report repeats 2 earlier warnings, and was raised again 1 time later. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. lack of mental health bed
“Evidence given by the court appointed expert consultant psychiatrist was that Ms [name redacted] was not adequately medicalised and that she needed assessment and medical review with optimisation of treatment in a mental health hospital. Her response to treatment needed to be observed. This is what a s2 admission is designed to effect. The lack of a bed in a mental health hospital denied Ms [name redacted] this opportunity for optimal treatment.”
2. detention in general hospitals without a section
“owing to a shortage of mental health beds patients who have been assessed by 2 s12 consultant psychiatrists to require detention after a mental health act assessment are being effectively detained in general hospitals without a section, awaiting a bed, because they cannot be placed under section unless a mental health bed is available”
Linked reports
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“Mr [name redacted] was aged 72. The Community Mental Health Team advised on 18/10/18 that he required an immediate admission for inpatient mental health treatment for his own safety.”
This report
“Evidence given by the court appointed expert consultant psychiatrist was that Ms [name redacted] was not adequately medicalised and that she needed assessment and medical review with optimisation of treatment in a mental health hospital. Her response to treatment needed to be observed.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“[the deceased] cannot be legally detained as the section 2 is not complete until there is a bed.”
This report
“patients who have been assessed by 2 s12 consultant psychiatrists to require detention after a mental health act assessment are being effectively detained in general hospitals without a section, awaiting a bed”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“Evidence given by the court appointed expert consultant psychiatrist was that Ms [name redacted] was not adequately medicalised and that she needed assessment and medical review with optimisation of treatment in a mental health hospital.”
Later report
“I heard from clinicians at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust that they continued to have on acute paediatric wards a number of children and young people who have no physical medical needs for which they requirement treatment in an acute hospital but do not have packages of care in the community in place or a Tier 4 Paediatric Mental Health bed available to be admitted to.”