Petition calls for inquiries after suicides

A WOMAN whose uncle took h i s ow n l i fe is spearheading a petition calling for better mental health treatment.

Gilly Murray, 29, of Dundee, wants an overhaul of NHS services across Scotland following the death of her uncle David Ramsay, 50, in 2016.

Mr Ramsay had twice been turned away from hospital and it was claimed he was refused entry to the Carseview Centre in Dundee.

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) is not automatically held if a patient takes their own life in a secure unit.

Gilly has joined forces with fellow campaigner Karen McKeown, who lost her partner to suicide, to call for an FAI to be held as a matter of course if someone commits suicide within three months of contact with mental health services.

Gilly said: “There needs to be a review of mental health services.

“How can it be that if a criminal in jail dies there is an FAI and yet someone dies in a secure mental health unit there is no automatic FAI?”

Karen’s partner Luke Henderson was found dead at their home in Bellshill in December 2017.

It came after he had sought help for his mental health problems eight times in the previous week.

Gilly and Karen intend to present the completed petition to MSPs.

Visit parliament.scot to view the petition.