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| Version 1 |
Version 2 |
| Mental health 'apartheid' warning |
Mental health 'apartheid' warning |
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(about 2 hours later)
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| A senior monitor of mental patients' interests has warned of "a kind of apartheid" in the mental health system. | A senior monitor of mental patients' interests has warned of "a kind of apartheid" in the mental health system. |
| Lord Patel of Bradford, chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission, told the BBC that institutional racism in the service needed to be addressed. | Lord Patel of Bradford, chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission, told the BBC that institutional racism in the service needed to be addressed. |
| He said it could be one reason why some black groups were 18 times more likely to be in psychiatric care. | He said it could be one reason why some black groups were 18 times more likely to be in psychiatric care. |
| The Department of Health has promised to "eradicate discrimination" in mental health services. | The Department of Health has promised to "eradicate discrimination" in mental health services. |
| Segregation | Segregation |
| Lord Patel said it had to be established why there was an over-representation of black people in psychiatric care. | Lord Patel said it had to be established why there was an over-representation of black people in psychiatric care. |
| Otherwise, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We're going to have a situation where we'll have segregation. | Otherwise, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We're going to have a situation where we'll have segregation. |
| "We'll have those that live on the margins of society, feeling more hopelessness than they do now. | "We'll have those that live on the margins of society, feeling more hopelessness than they do now. |
| "A kind of apartheid will happen in the next 10 to 20 years. It's going to get worse. We have to deal with it very strongly." | "A kind of apartheid will happen in the next 10 to 20 years. It's going to get worse. We have to deal with it very strongly." |
| Experts estimate black people are three to 10 times more likely to be diagnosed as schizophrenic and less likely to be diagnosed with depression. | Experts estimate black people are three to 10 times more likely to be diagnosed as schizophrenic and less likely to be diagnosed with depression. |
| They are also more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act and to be given medication, rather than "talking" therapies. | They are also more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act and to be given medication, rather than "talking" therapies. |
| David Rocky Bennett, a black mental health patient, died in 1998 after being restrained at a Norfolk clinic. | David Rocky Bennett, a black mental health patient, died in 1998 after being restrained at a Norfolk clinic. |
| An inquiry into the incident concluded that institutional racism was "a festering abscess, a blot on the good name of the NHS". | An inquiry into the incident concluded that institutional racism was "a festering abscess, a blot on the good name of the NHS". |
| Following this, the government pledged to "eradicate discrimination" in NHS mental health care. | Following this, the government pledged to "eradicate discrimination" in NHS mental health care. |
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