Matthew Sheldrick (2)
16 Dec 2024 · Coroner Penelope Schofield · West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
This report repeats 10 earlier warnings, and was raised again 1 time later. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. lack of inpatient beds
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds”
2. national shortage of mental health beds for Autistic patients and transgender individuals
“There being a national shortage of mental health beds in particular for Autistic patients and those who are transgender requiring a mixed ward”
3. unsuitable A&E environment for mental health patients
“The unsuitability of the environment of A&E as a holding place for those in need of a mental health bed”
4. gap in services for non-detainable high-risk patients
“There is a gap in services for those who do not meet the criteria for detention under the Mental Health Act but who are too high a risk to be sent home”
5. significant wait time for referral to Assessment and Treatment Service
“There is a significant wait time for referral to the Assessment and Treatment Service”
Linked reports
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“There remains still a national lack of provision of inpatient beds for mentally il! children and adolescents including those who suffer from eating disorders.”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“there was a national shortage of acute mental health beds necessitating the use of out of county placements for patients requiring hospitalization for their mental health treatment”
This report
“There being a national shortage of mental health beds in particular for Autistic patients and those who are transgender requiring a mixed ward”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.85 · high
Earlier report
“inpatient beds within the BSMHFT are currently operating at 109% capacity and are often not available”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.80 · moderate
Earlier report
“The lack of inpatient beds is a known resource issue within the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.87 · high
Earlier report
“The inquest heard that [the deceased] was kept in an acute hospital setting at Salford Royal Hospital awaiting a mental health bed due to a shortage of mental 2 health beds”
This report
“There being a national shortage of mental health beds in particular for Autistic patients and those who are transgender requiring a mixed ward.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“Lack of inpatient mental health beds and lack of Psychiatric decisions unit (PDU) spaces: The inquest heard how there was a regional and national lack of inpatient beds and spaces in PDU.”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“at the time of [the deceased] ligaturing in May 2019 there was an national shortage of acute pyschiatric beds to treat patients in the community suffering with mental disorder of a nature or degree which necessitated immediate assessment treatment and care as an inpatient”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“there is an ongoing shortage of available inpatient psychiatric beds in Surrey”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.92 · high
Earlier report
“this was not possible at the time of assessment as there were no beds available nationally within the NHS or privately.”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“The Matron in Acute and Urgent Care confirmed bed capacity remains an ongoing problem and has not been resolved.”
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“There is a lack of inpatient beds leading to unacceptable wait times in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds.”
Later report
“The lack of beds, locally and nationally, for mental health admissions and the suggestion given in evidence that patients can be waiting in the open reception area for days or sometimes weeks for a bed.”
Responses
2024-0690-Response-from-DHSC.pdf ↗· Department of Health and Social Care
Stated action
“I expect individual trusts and local health systems to effectively assess and manage bed capacity, the 'flow' of patients being discharged or moving to another setting.”
2024-0690-Response-from-NHS-England.pdf ↗· NHS England
Stated action · 2023/24
“The NHS LTP saw an additional £2.3 billion of funding invested in mental health services from 2019/20 to 2023/24, around £1.3 billion of which was for adult community, crisis and acute mental health services to allow people to get faster access to the care they need and prevent deterioration and hospital admission where it is avoidable.”