Very Sad Event - man set himself alight in Redditch

a 46 yr old male walked out of a redditch hospital and set himself alight, he died later at the q.e. he was suffering depression but why are these hospitals allowing people to walk out on their own. i have heard other people who have gone into hillcrest inredditch say it is a great place, you get three meals a day and are allowed the freedom to roam, they pop down the road to the off licence and have a drink, surely they should be monitored more closely say with a buddie or is this too expensive,

i knew this chap many years ago and he was a very good welder and i am saddened to see him come to this end, although he is now at peace,

steph

That's awful news Steph, I knew a chap who did it years ago, he poured a whole can of petrol over himself. People said his screams could be heard streets away.

It's a terrible thing to do, but I don't think the people are available to watch them. As it is , the number of long term beds in most psychiatric hospitals has been cut to the bone. When someone I knew in Leeds had to be admitted semi-permanently to a locked ward, the local health authority had to put them in a private hospital (with all the attendent costs to the NHS) because there were no places available in the whole of the north east Leeds area. Back over 40 years ago I was in Whiston hospital and in the same ward was an indian chap who didn't talk much. His hands were like claws,and he had a lot of burns. Apparently he had set himself alight a while before. It wasn't too serious, in that they were able to treat him leaving a few burns to the side of his face and serviceable hands. He was discharged, and a few weeks later he did it again, only this time he would live, but all his tendond in his hands were gone, and he would never be able to use them. All the nurses treated him with respect, but I know some thought "what's the bloody point of it", and i don't think i could blame them

Mike

In the 70's & 80's when we still had a functioning mental health service until "that woman" disbanded it for "care in the community" We worked at practically every hospital in the West Midlands. I can tell you that even then care in the Mental & Geriatric sectors of the health service was very thin on the ground as staff was cut to the bone, before all the inmates were finally threw out on to the streets.

Phil

Phil our so called caring sevices have been in decline ever since