61% of All Deaths in Custordy Are Mentally Ill.

"There were 3,628 deaths in mental health detention (501 self-inflicted) between 2000 and 2010, accounting for 61% of all deaths in state custody. The proportion of deaths recorded from "natural causes" is also exceptionally high." says the Guardian. With the death of Janey Antoniou, a leading mental health campaigner and sufferer of Schizophrenia, questions are being asked about why so many people die in mental hospitals whilst undergoing treatment, but also why proper independent investigations aren't carried out afterwards. If a death occurs in a prison then an indenedent body, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman carry out an investigation, independently of the prison service. And deaths whilst in the custodary of the Police are carried out by the IPCC. Whereas deaths in NHS mental health facilities are carried out internally. This discrepency is another sign that the wholsale discrimination of the system, with all it componants towards the mentally ill, is an issue. A big issue.

Janey's death, has led to questions being asked about whether independent equiries should be carried out, and her husband, Dr Antoniou is now leading a campiagn to get this changed. The fact is, he was constantly frustrated by the investigation that was carried out after Janey's death. He still isn't allowed to read the report, but also he was asked no questions about what led up to her death, neither was he consulted about the reasons why she might have died, nor his opinion sort about the conduct of the NHS Trust.

It is my view that should we have an indendent body that investigates these deaths, with the power to censure people who's conduct may have contributed (including doctors, nurses and social workers), then deaths in custodary might actually go down.