Cambs & P'boro NHS Trust scraps patient suicide review

It was initially launched after the Trust was accused of a 'cover up culture'

Author: Henry WinterPublished 10th May 2024

A review of patient suicides at a mental health trust in Cambridgeshire is being scrapped.

It was launched after Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust was accused of a 'cover up culture'.

Last year the Trust announced it would be looking into suicides that had taken place since 2017.

But a spokesperson says it's become clear "that the review would not answer the individual and highly personal questions some families might have."

They go on to say they've strengthened processes at the trust and remain committed to listening to those affected by suicide.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust said: “Last year, CPFT announced its intention to conduct a thematic suicide review with the purpose of identifying further learning and common themes from adults who had died by suicide while under the Trust’s care since 2017."

"CPFT is committed to learning from these tragic incidents and, while the thematic review was planned with the best of intentions, it has become clear in speaking with several families and loved ones with lived experience that the review would not answer the individual and highly personal questions some families might have.

"Since the announcement, we have strengthened our processes by adopting the new national Patient Safety Incident Reporting Framework (PSIRF) as well as enhancing our own Learning from Deaths programme.

"This has enabled us to better identify and embed learning from deaths by suicide in a meaningful way.

"With this in mind, the Trust Board has made the decision not to proceed with the thematic suicide review as originally intended, but is committed to working with Dr Ellen Wilkinson, the independent Chair of the review, to engage NHS partners, as well as families and loved ones with lived experience of suicide, to further our suicide prevention work locally, supported by national initiatives, best practice guidance and Quality Improvement methodology.

"We remain committed to listening to the families and loved ones of those affected by suicide and within the scope of the review and will continue to engage with them as we embed learning to improve our services."

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