At least 50 patients of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) killed someone or are suspected of killing someone between 2003 and 2018, the News can reveal.
The data, released in response to a Freedom of Information request by charity Hundred Families, shows “shocking” failings by the trust, a spokesperson for the organisation said.
Mental illness was considered a factor in at least fifteen of these killings, the data shows. But Julian Hendy, who provides information for families of victims of mental health-related homicides through Hundred Families, said that this did not necessarily mean that the other killings were not at least driven in part by psychiatric disorders. It is also unclear whether any of the killings took place before they were seen at SLaM – a spokesperson said they may or may not have been.
There could be as many as 55 SLaM patients who have killed people, because the datasets, released at three different points, overlap due to delays in reporting and court proceedings.
Mr Hendy said that the figures are “truly shocking”.
He added: “There’s a complete lack of local information about the numbers of seriously mentally ill people who kill others, which is why we make regular Freedom of information requests to mental health trusts…
“They show that year after year severely mentally people in south London are unable to access the care and treatment they need to keep them, their families, and others safe and well.
“These are not rare incidents, they are regular, repeated, and often preventable tragedies which affect entire families and whole communities. This has been going on for far too long and it’s not acceptable.
“South London and Maudsley need to demonstrate they are truly learning from these incidents, that the same failings in care are not repeated, and that patients and the public are protected.”
The families of victims of SLaM patients discharged from hospitals in this week’s and last week’s News have also questioned the risk assessments that led to the mentally ill killers being let out in public.
The trust has suffered from overcrowding in recent years. The News reported in 2018 how 31 patients at SLaM facilities were left sleeping on sofas or on temporary facilities because of high demand. The latest report by the hospital inspector the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said that safety at the trust ‘requires improvement’, although SLaM is rated ‘good’ overall.
SLaM provides support for more than 50,000 people in inpatient services and in the community. In response to the Freedom of Information request, the trust pointed out that it serves two inner London boroughs – Southwark and Lambeth – with high levels of drug use, poverty and crime, that “inevitably” lead to homicides.
Dr Michael Holland, medical director at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said: “Every year we strive to improve the lives of over 40,000 people who use our services in the local community, helping them recover from mental illness and reduce the risk of self-harm and any potential risk to others.
“Whilst we can never eliminate all risk, optimising the quality and resourcing of mental healthcare is the best way to reduce any risks that individuals might pose to themselves or others. This is the best way to reduce any risks individuals might pose to themselves or others.
SLaM: we need to know more about these ‘shocking’ homicide figures
“We recognise the devastating impact on the families of victims of homicides. Incidents involving people using mental health services are extremely rare. Working with partner agencies, we thoroughly investigate these incidents and use any learning to continue improving the care and treatment we provide.
“Mental illness affects one in four people at some point in their lives. Stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness can stop people from seeking the help and support they need. We will continue to work carefully and closely with our patients, carers, and community to overcome this.”