suicide data

Just for info....the second reading of the Coroners and Justices Bill took place on 18 May....this huge Bill has areas which are of great concern.

Lord David Ramsbotham (ex Chief of Prisons) is looking for: a root and branch revision of the whole Coronial system, because he does not think that the Bill has tackled some serious issues, such as the fact that Coroners are not part of the Court Service and have to go to local authorities for resources, leading to the post code lottery, Coroners having to do 40 years to qualify for pension, leading to some very old Coroners and a lack of young talent.
If Coroners were part of the HMCS, Jack Straw could investigate any ot them, as head of it!

In the case of detention under Mental Health Act:

Coroner's and Justice Bill - protecting those detained by the state
In particular I have read that s.7 of the Bill appears to be weakening the legal requirement for inquests to be held before juries where the deceased person was in the custody or detention of the state. The current position is that all deaths in custody are automatically heard before juries, in recognition of the fact that the state must be properly held accountable for all deaths that occur on its watch.

s.7 of the Bill currently states that inquests into deaths that have occurred in detention or custody will only take place before juries where the death was violent or unnatural (s.7(2)(a)(i)), where the cause of death is unknown (s.7(2)(a)(ii)), where a member of the police is involved (s.7(2)(b)(i) and (ii)), where the death was due to a notifiable accident, poisioning or disease (s.7(2)(c)), or otherwise where the senior coroner thinks there is sufficient reason for doing so (s.7(3)).

I am concerned that this means a large number of deaths which would previously have been investigated (e.g. deaths in prison) will not automatically be heard before a jury.

In addition to this, I believe that all deaths where the state is implicated (deaths in custody, as well as those relating to people detained under the Mental Health Acts) require the highest level of scrutiny due to the vulnerable position of prisoners and detained people in society. The state has a legal obligation to protect the rights of those in its custody and detention, as well as to fully investigate such deaths under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act.

I have urged the Lords to introduce or support an amendment to s.7 of the Coroner's and Justice Bill to make inquests concerning the deaths of those in custody or detention automatically heard before juries. The state must be seen to take such deaths seriously, including where there may be evidence of systemic failures which result in death, and this amendment would also give families more confidence that the state is prepared to take responsibility for properly investigating any problems.

I met Lord Darzi at a recent Rethink meeting in Londonand was impressed by his understanding of the health issues he was having to deal with. But there still is too much a,abiguity within the intention and interpretation of guidance....to many get out of jail free cards in the pack!

I have asked Lord Darzi to please ensure that Health Service Guidelines intention matches the Strategic Health authorities interpretation. Currently one of the main indicators of significant system failure is 'suicide clusters' but suicide indicators are being withdrawn nationally from 2011 (and the PCT indicators already have been)

What a minefield!