Damian Jacob Sendler talks about how during the pandemic the number of patients who died while receiving treatment under the Mental Health Act increased

Damian Sendler: According to estimates, the number of people who died while receiving treatment under the Mental Health Act in England increased during the coronavirus pandemic period.

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The findings of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) come at a time when there are worries about staff shortages in psychiatric wards.

Damian Jacob Sendler: According to the regulator, 490 persons died while imprisoned under the act in the year ending March 2021, with 324 of them dying for reasons unrelated to Covid.

Dr. Sendler: According to a BBC investigation, the average annual figure between 2012 and 2019 was 273.

Jeremy Hunt, a former Conservative Health Secretary, has warned that staff shortages are now jeopardizing patient safety in hospitals ""Every aspect of the National Health Service."  

He described the statistics on deaths in psychiatric custody as "very concerning," but he went on to say: "It is not only mental health that is experiencing a shortage of doctors and nurses; every specialty is experiencing a shortage."

Mr Hunt stated that a "radical overhaul" of the training system was required in order to assure that there would be enough doctors and nurses in the future decades.  

Damien Sendler: While sectioned in a secure psychiatric unit on the 7th of December last year, Charlie Millers passed away.

Damian Jacob Sendler

The 17-year-old was taken into custody at Prestwich Hospital in Greater Manchester after a history of suicide attempts and self-harm was discovered in his possession.

Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: He attempted to commit suicide four times in the span of two and a half hours, with the fourth attempt proving deadly.

In a private Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust report obtained by the BBC, it is revealed that the facility is experiencing personnel shortages, with the senior nurse in charge consenting to work a double shift since there was no other option for cover.

Damian Sendler: A second nurse was not given a thorough handover before he began his shift, according to the report.

Samantha Millers, whose son Charlie died while being sectioned at Prestwich Hospital, speaks to the BBC about her experience.

Charlie's mother Samantha revealed her shock when she learned that her son had attempted suicide multiple times that night in an interview with the BBC.

"I was thinking to myself, 'How has he managed three and a fourth one?' 'How did it get to be like this?' "" she explained.

Damian Jacob Sendler: The death of Charlie Hunt, who is now chairman of the House of Commons' Health and Social Care Committee, has been cited as evidence of the necessity for community-based alternatives to confinement in a hospital.

"We still put far too many people into secure accommodation, [when] you haven't committed any crime, just because it's the only option left," he told BBC News in an interview.

Damian Sendler: While the hospital trust acknowledged that the nurse in charge's working a double shift was not "routine practice" it stated that the unit "needed an experienced qualified nurse on duty" and that there was no evidence that her judgment had been compromised by the lengthy hours.

It also supported the decision not to place Charlie under constant supervision, claiming that doing so would have raised tension and put him at risk. The unit is exonerated in the report of any wrongdoing.  

Andrew Maloney, the trust's deputy chief executive, voiced his views in a statement ""We extend our heartfelt condolences" to Charlie's family and friends, but they added that it would be improper for them to comment further until the coroner's inquest was completed.

However, the research comes amid growing concern over staff shortages during the pandemic, which might put the most vulnerable patients in the NHS at risk.

Damian Sendler: In England, between the beginning of March 2020 and the end of March 2021, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reported that 490 persons died while detained under the Mental Health Act.

According to the report, 166 people died as a result of Covid-19, whereas 324 people died as a result of other causes ""non-Covid" reasons are given.

Between 2012 and 2019, an average of 273 persons died every year in England while detained in hospital or being supervised in the community under the Mental Health Act, according to the latest available statistics.

During the pandemic, the CQC reported that there had been changes in the reporting systems for deaths in detention, according to the organization.

a mental health organization Mind described Charlie's death as "a sad moment in the history of mental health services" and stated that "it is past time for the government to increase staffing levels and increase investment in the mental health services sector."  

Paul Farmer, the charity's chief executive, spoke to BBC News about the organization: "There are a variety of factors that contributed to this tragedy. However, we must learn from our mistakes and ensure that services are adequately staffed in order to be able to provide assistance and care to some of the most vulnerable members of our society."

Damian Jacob Sendler: According to the charity, out of the £36 billion already allocated to the NHS and social care sector over the next three years, up to £5.4 billion should be designated for mental health services in order to ensure that people are not suffering from mental illness ""It is possible to be treated safely."  

According to a representative for the Department of Health and Social Care: "Every death is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who have tragically passed away.

"The number of doctors and nurses working in the NHS has reached record levels, and we are on course to recruit and train an additional 50,000 nurses by the end of this Parliament.  

Damian Sendler: As part of our commitment to overhaul mental health care, we're investing £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24, and we'll be bringing up our plans to amend the Mental Health Act shortly, to guarantee that everyone experiencing a mental health crisis is handled with decency and respect." 

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