We must learn from mental health tragedies

‘Among the common factors were poor or non-existent risk assessment, a lack of communication and, most unforgivably, failures to listen to the patient or heed the concerns of their families,’ writes Marjorie Wallace. Photograph: Alamy

While we welcome expanding research into suicides by mental health patients, we are disturbed that in-depth investigations into patient homicides are no longer undertaken (Cuts to study of killings by mental health patients ‘put people at risk’, 18 July). We understand the desire to separate mental illness from violence, but our own research suggests that of the approximately 120 homicides committed each year in the UK by someone with a mental illness or disorder, more than 50% were due to multiple failures in patient care. Among the common factors were poor or non-existent risk assessment, a lack of communication and, most unforgivably, failures to listen to the patient or heed the concerns of their families. Not learning lessons from these tragedies is like throwing away the black box after a plane crash. It is unfair not only to the innocent victims and their families, but also to patients, those who care for them and professionals charged with their care.
Marjorie Wallace
Chief executive, Sane

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