Shows
Watch the latest from Newshub
ThreeNow
Watch the latest current affairs shows
Palmerston North
AKL
18° 10°
Health

Bay of Plenty DHB failed to care for young man who likely died by suicide - Health and Disability Commissioner report

Bay of Plenty DHB failed to care for young man who likely died by suicide - Health and Disability Commissioner report
Photo credit: Getty Images

Warning: This story discusses suicide, self-harm, and mental health.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOP DHB) failed to care for a young man needing mental health services after he was admitted to hospital and later died by suspected suicide, a report has found.

The person, only referred to in the report as 'Mr A', first had contact with mental health and addiction services in 2014, when he was in his late teens. He later became mentally unwell again in 2016, and went to hospital after self-harming.

The following month, he was taken to the emergency department after being found intending to harm himself. He was admitted to the mental health ward voluntarily for two nights before he was discharged.

After he was discharged, he was seen regularly by a psychologist from the DHB and his care was discussed at multidisciplinary team meetings. However, he wasn't seen in person by a DHB psychiatrist, either during his admission or after discharge. He died the following year by suspected suicide.

Kevin Allan, the Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner, released a report on Monday saying the BOP DHB was in breach of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights for failing to care for the young man.

"There was a striking lack of psychiatrist input into the man's care, and the processes of discharging and transferring the man from the various parts of BOP DHB's mental health service were extremely poor," Allan says.

Allan criticised that the man wasn't seen by a psychiatrist during his hospital admission, nor offered the chance to meet with one when he continued to be unwell. He says the multidisciplinary team didn't play an effective role in optimising the man's care, and he didn't have a case manager separate from his BOPDHB psychologist.

The BOP DHB's failure to make and communicate a written plan with the man for his discharge from the community mental health service, and to communicate this to his family, GP, and private psychologist, was also criticised.

Allan recommends that the BOP DHB gives feedback on how it is implementing the recommendations made in a serious incident review report, and it also considers introducing a procedural requirement for a psychiatrist to see community mental health service clients every three months.

He also recommends the BOP DHB reviews its processes for discharging clients from the community mental health service to make sure a clear and comprehensive plan is established, and wants them and the consultant psychologist to give a written apology to Mr A's family.

Where to find help and support: