I read yesterday for the first time of an investigation in to a mental health hospital restraint incident in Scotland which involved the police. This post is just to note it briefly as worth following until the outcome is known, because it involves a Crown Office investigation and a referral to Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, or PIRC (Scottish equivalent of the Independent Office for Police Conduct).
Joseph Sneddon was 37yrs of age when he was admitted to the Victoria Hospital in Fife after his family called an ambulance on the 6th April 2022, concerned he was experiencing a mental health crisis. After andmission, a further incident occurred on the ward and six police police officers and two “guards” were involved in an incident of prolonged restraint. Mr Sneddon’s family were told there was “significant acidosis after a significant period of restraint” and they have since obtained a copy of the post-mortem report which suggested the incident went on for at least four hours, involving Joseph “extensively fighting” against restraint.
Investigations are ongoing, so little more to be said for now. I admit to wondering whilst reading this article about the deaths of Seni Lewis (London, 2010) and Kingsley Burrell (Birmingham, 2011) – both were hospital inpatient deaths where the police were called in to a clinical setting and after restraint, there was the most tragic outcome of all.
Winner of the President’s Medal, the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Winner of the Mind Digital Media Award
All opinions expressed are my own – they do not represent the views of any organisation. (c) Michael Brown, 2023
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Government legislation website – www.legislation.gov.uk
Mental Health Cop 