Suicide by 14 patients sparks probe of HSE care

The Inspectorate for Mental Health Services is carrying out a review after it was revealed that 14 people have died by suicide in the past 18 months while under the care of the HSE in Carlow, Kilkenny, and South Tipperary.

The move comes after Des Kavanagh, the general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses’ Association, highlighted the level of suicide among psychiatric patients under the care of the HSE.

He said nurses in several services are raising concerns, and in one service, Carlow, Kilkenny, and South Tipperary, 14 people have died by suicide in the past 18 months, three in-patients, six following discharge, and the remainder who had some involvement with the mental health services.

A spokesperson for the Mental Health Commission confirmed that “the Inspectorate for Mental Health Services has been to Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary Mental Health Services to carry out a review”.

“This review is in the process of being completed and the inspectorate will inform the commission of its findings in due course,” he said.

“The Inspector of Mental Health Services reported to the Mental Health Commission a number of unexpected deaths. On the back of this, the commission asked the inspectorate to carry out a review of service users’ safety.

“Once this review has gone through fair process, the commission will determine whether or not it’s appropriate to publish the findings,” a spokesman said.

A HSE spokesman said “serious incidents that occur in any mental health treatment facility are reported to the relevant authorities and a review is carried out as a matter of priority.”

Mr Kavanagh had addressed the issue at the annual delegate conference.

“There is no doubt that in order to provide a modern Mental Health Service where patients are cared for in the least restricted way possible, risks must be taken and casualties will occur, but surely 14 in 18 months is too much. Surely this points to system failures which need to be reviewed,” he said.

“My concern is that the system is not working, the system is failing people, and we need to learn from such failures in the best interests of our people going forward so that our services can be more successful in preventing such suicides in future.”