News Release, 1 October 2001
Risk could be reduced if all services supporting people with mental health problems used standard scales of assessment, shared information, and involved service users, according to a new report from the Mental Health Foundation.
The report, Risk Management In Mental Health, suggests that many suicides and other incidents could have been avoided if involved parties listened more carefully and shared information. For example:
- 24% of suicides were by people who had been in contact with mental health services in the year prior to death.
- Published inquiry reports reveal that incidents of violence committed by people with a diagnosis of mental illness would have been less likely to occur had professionals listened to the family and others involved earlier.
"Our research suggests that the safety and wellbeing of individuals and local communities can be improved by using a common system of assessment and information sharing and the genuine involvement of service users. The report demonstrates clearly that this is possible. The widespread use of a standard system, such as RAMAS, is long overdue," says Nigel Duerdoth, Director of Programmes at the Mental Health Foundation.
The Mental Health Foundation believes that effective risk management should not disempower people but should minimise risk through open discussion, standardised assessment and the use of up-to-date, jointly owned care plans. Greater collaboration and communication are key.
Risk Management In Mental Health, produced by the Mental Health Foundation, explains the fundamentals of good risk management. It is broken down into three chapters. The first provides definitions of risk assessment, prediction and management, showing how they relate to the Department of Health's understanding of safe, sound and supportive environments. The second looks at duty of care, guiding principles of risk assessment and management, and outlines current thinking of best practice. The final chapter looks at the Risk Assessment Management and Audit Systems (RAMAS), an example of best practice cited in the Government's White Paper,
"Reforming the Mental Health Act Part II", and sets out how it works in theory and practice.
Risk Management In Mental Health was written by Margaret O'Rourke, consultant forensic clinical psychologist, Surrey Hampshire Borders, NHS Trust, and Lisa Bird, of the Mental Health Foundation.
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For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
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