Shaun Lintern
@ShaunLintern
Health Editor at The Sunday Times. National Press Awards Health Journalist of the Year 2023. Chair of @mjauk. Public interest journalism matters #E17
ID:162071541
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/profile/shaun-lintern 02-07-2010 15:18:07
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Shaun Lintern Totally agree. I work in mental health and have seen the gradual decline. It is very sad.
Shocking investigation by Shaun Lintern reveals that 233 people have been killed over 4 years by those with a mental health disorder showing the intersection between crime and health policy thetimes.co.uk/article/e0ff41โฆ
Credit to Claire Murdoch for being interviewed for this investigation. Inevitably we can't include everything, but she makes some thoughtful comments on mental health services, crisis care and local areas providing for their population:
Shaun Lintern The Times and The Sunday Times As a mum/carer we have been in the same situation, we could have written that letter. Thank you for sharing and highlighting. Until Mental Illness knocks on one's own door, people have very little understanding of what happens.
The Care Quality Commission Chris Dzikiti told us the regulator was aware MH services were understaffed & underfunded and it had heard of cases of detention where 14-day time limits on finding a bed were being breached. This creates a risk of harm he said.
I think that Claire Murdoch is right. If you fund more beds, you're not funding the community services which will prevent certain situations. 'more beds' will always lead to the need for more beds, because psychiatric hospitals are unable to address people's needs holistically.
I manage acute adult inpatient mental health services. The comment from Claire Murdoch - they are 'running red hot' - is spot on.
Demand is consistently, sustainedly high and barriers to discharge (often related to social care) mean some people are in beds they no longer require.
๐จ INVESTIGATION: Britain's mental health system is broken. Patients & innocent members of the public are paying the price.
Today we reveal how dangerous mentally ill people are being routinely left in the community. Some will kill themselves or others: thetimes.co.uk/article/e0ff41โฆ