Rules changed after patient’s suicide
THE mother of a man who killed himself while on leave from a mental health unit has made an emotional plea to health bosses.
Kirk Whittington, 36, died in June 2008, while on home leave from Hutt Hospital’s Te Whare Ahuru inpatient unit.
In a decision released this month, coroner Garry Evans set aside the usual rules banning publication of the circumstances of a suicide, despite the district health board’s opposition.
He said the public should know that flaws in the health system were examined, and steps taken to prevent similar occurrences.
Mr Whittington was a chronic paranoid schizophrenic, yet there was no written leave plan for him. Both he and his mother, Pam, agreed that home leave was ‘‘not a good idea’’.
Yesterday, a Hutt Valley DHB meeting heard details of measures put in place since Mr Whittington’s death.
For example,
nurses finishing their shift must now supply a written handover each morning for all patients.
Mrs Whittington went to the meeting and addressed board members, saying that changes needed to be followed through.
‘‘A lot of these things were supposed to be in place for many years. There are still human beings, there are still our babies.’’
Privacy concerns should not outweigh patient wellbeing, she said. ‘‘I wasn’t told that Kirk had refused medication before he came home. That is a huge warning bell.’’
Lead psychiatrist Gary Orr said a raft of changes had been put in place. Meetings could now take place without the patient present, so concerns could be talked about openly.
When patients went on leave, a plan must be signed off, highlighting recovery goals. ‘‘I like to think that, under my watch, things have changed,’’ Dr Orr said.
A report to the meeting said Mr Whittington’s family was very involved in his care, and the home was ‘‘a loving and supportive environment’’.
Mr Evans said the board’s management of Mr Whittington pointed to the need for ‘‘much closer supervision and oversight of both systems and staff practices in the area of mental health’’.
The DHB has apologised for ‘‘lapses of care’’ in Mr Whittington’s case. Yesterday, chief executive Graham Dyer said: ‘‘In this case we didn’t do very well. We could have done better.’’
Outside the meeting, Mrs Whittington said she hoped her message got through. ‘‘It just seems sad that it takes a tragedy like this for something to happen.’’