Mind responds to NHSE investigation into treatment of Valdo Calocane
Mind has responded to publication of NHS England’s (Midlands) full independent investigation into the care and treatment of Valdo Calocane in the months leading up to 13 June 2023.
The report identified a number of failings and questions, including:
-
The way mental health teams think about and navigate the patient’s risk and capacity
-
Workforce pressure and demands outstripping resource
-
How are families engaged and supported when caring for someone as ill as Valdo Calocane
-
Lack of joined up decision making around discharge meant Valdo Calocane was discharged to community services that didn't always have the resource to adequately support him
Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said:
“There is no pain that compares to the loss of a loved one. All of us at Mind send our deepest and heartfelt thoughts to the families of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates. This should not have happened, and we must all work together to make sure this is a turning point and such tragedies are not repeated.
“Mental health staff are often working in very difficult circumstances without the resources they need. No one wants to fail patients, and when it happens the impact on individuals and teams is profound. But we must look at what went wrong here and hold the mental health system to account.
“It is all too clear there were a series of missed opportunities alongside systemic failures. Under-resourced services, poor communications, a failure to properly listen to and involve Valdo Calocane’s family all meant he fell through the cracks in the system, with devastating consequences.
“People with mental illness must be held accountable when they commit serious crime. But when people are unwell, they need to be treated with respect, and able to access adequately funded mental health services which can intervene early and provide ongoing support. Strong local partnerships between services that include carers and communities are critical to ensure the right decisions around someone’s care are taken at the right time. This is especially true for people from racialised communities who are more likely to experience poor care and worse outcomes.
“Valdo Calocane did not get the care he should have, leaving the families of the victims facing an unbearable loss. This cannot happen again.”