The number of unexpected deaths of patients engaging with mental health services has increased by 50% over the past three years; an investigation by BBC’s Panorama has shown. Since 2012-13 the figures have increased from just over 2000 to just over 3000 and cover both patients detained in hospital and those being treated in the community.
Many put this down to repeated cuts to mental health services, with overworked staff simply unable to cope with an increased demand. The Health Foundation, an independent healthcare charity, indicate that English mental health trusts have had their budgets cut by £150 million over the past four years, this is despite the increase in healthcare spending in general. They argue that this is because of the increased demand of other healthcare services, with mental health services consistently being pushed to the back of the queue with regards to funding. Despite recent attempts by the Prime Minister, Theresa May, to increase funding in this area, this money is still being consumed within the overall NHS budget and so it is not reaching the mental health services that it was intended for.
The NHS disagrees with this information, as they argue that the number of suicides amongst people engaging with mental health services has actually been decreasing since 2004. It is noted, however, that the BBC’s figures also cover neglect and misadventure, rather than merely suicide.
The Department of Health attempts to explain this increase by attributing it to an updated procedure for dealing with unexpected deaths. They explain that mental health trusts are now required to publish information regarding avoidable deaths and how they are improving their care and that this is the reason why there appears to be an increase in avoidable deaths. However, although this can explain a small increase, it has been argued that this new system cannot account for such a sharp rise.
It appears that, if funding to mental health services is not increased, the number of unexpected deaths among patients engaging with mental health trusts will continue to rise.