David Martin’s brother, Steve, writes:
“There is significant doubt that bi-lateral pneumonia was a naturally occurring natural cause for David’s death. Were multi agency failings and institutional neglect contributory factors to the sudden death of David? Deadly cocktail of prescription drugs, filthy environment and an ineffective care plan. Do those agencies need to alter their practices? The family needs to know the truth. No Inquest? No enquiry. No enquiry? No change. No change? More sudden deaths. The most vulnerable in society are having their care cut. Unqualified care workers, more drugs to sedate behaviour, less services to keep them healthy. Families rely on Mental Health Services, Social work teams and GPs to care for their loved ones. Schizophrenia shouldn’t be a terminal disease.”
You can sign the petition at change.org by clicking on the image below:
It’s well known that people with severe mental illness get a raw deak with regard to their physical health for a whole number of reasons – the long-term impact of anti-psychotic medication, self-neglect, general disorganized thinking, difficulty in keeping medical appointments, difficulty in expressing themselves, not being listened to etc. etc. It was for this reason that Assertive Outreach Teams were set up – in order to enable people with severe and chronic mental illness to live in the community and not suffer the degree of neglect experienced by David. Now there are no Assertive Outreach Teams in Norfolk and Suffolk; the three AOTs we had in Central Norfolk were among the first victims of the radical redesign. Restoration of these teams is one of the main demands of our Campaign. The latest report of the National Enquiry into Suicide in mentally ill patients highlighted the fact that the suicide rate in Trusts which have abolished Assertive Outreach Teams has risen. Without commenting on the particular circumstances in this sad case, it is extremely difficult given the size and nature of caseloads for care coordinators to monitor patients closely any more. All the more so if support services such as home care are also being cut. Patients with a severe chronic mental illness who are at constant risk of relapse, whose risks when unwell are high, should be under the care of specialist assertive outreach teams. Such teams would also reduce the number of admissions to hospital and prevent NHS funds from going to swell the profits of private health firms such as the Priory Group.