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Police handover failures plague mental health patient care
7 Jan
Summary
- Inquest judge expresses disappointment over slow safety improvements.
- Vulnerable patient absconded from hospital before Leadbeater's death.
- Police forces criticized for ad-hoc handover processes.
An ongoing inquest into Leadbeater's death has exposed significant concerns regarding the handling of vulnerable individuals within the justice and mental health systems. Proceedings were adjourned to obtain an expert psychiatrist's report, focusing on a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis who was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital in October 2022.
Five days prior to the killing, the patient absconded from hospital leave and was later found by South Yorkshire Police. Officers created a vulnerable adult form, noting the individual was delusional and suicidal. However, a doctor who granted further leave three days later did not have a record of this report.
The presiding judge noted that "key information was missed in the handover process." Despite over a year passing since the initial hearings, new handover forms for police officers are still not fully implemented, leading to concerns about ongoing risks to vulnerable detainees.
