The independent victims helpline uk

poet corner

2010-05-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

guest poet Lisa

The ROOT PROBLEM
................WE THINK THE PROBLEMS THE WAR ON DRUGS,WE THINK THE PROBLEM IS LAX OF LOVE,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS ARE THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE,WE THINK THE PROBLEM IS TOO MANY CARS,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS HEART DISEASE,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS CUTTING DOWN TREES,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS THE GREED FOR DINERO, WE THINK THE PROBLEM THAT THERE ISNT ENOUGH HEROS WE THINK THE PROBLEMS IS HOMELESSNESS,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS UNHOLINESS,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS BAD EDUCATION,WE THINK WORSHIPPING SATAN. WE THINK THE PROBLEMS HIGH COUNCIL TAX,WE THINK THE PROBLEM IS SPURIOUS FACTS,WE THINK PROBLEMS BAD HEALTH CARE,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS CAUSED PEOPLE DONT CARE, WE THINK THE PROBLEMS THE WAR IN IRAQ,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS ENVIRONMENTAL COLLAPSE,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS,WE THINK THE PROBLEMS EATING JUNK FOOD AND PUDDINGS,WE THINK
THE PROBLEMS VIOLENT PLAY STATIONS GAMES, WE THINK THE PROBLEM IS DIVEDED NATIONS

WWW.RAWPOET.COM

The mental health nursing care provided for acute psychiatric patients

2010-03-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE (UK)
You searched for Psychiatric care

Also try:Mental health services,Psychiatry,Psychiatric hospitals,Psychogeriatrics,Psychiatric units,Community mental health careDisplaying results 1 - 20 out of the top 500 results found. Next pageResults1. Mental health policy implementation guide: National minimum standards for general adult services in Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) and Low Secure Environments
This document presents the national standards for general adult services in Psychiatric Intensive Care Units and Low Secure Environments

2 May 2002

Publications section

2. The mental health nursing care provided for acute psychiatric patients
This study of 11 sites in three regions investigated how recent changes in the in-patient population of psychiatric wards are affecting the roles and job satisfaction of nursing staff. It also examined patients' perceptions of their nursing care. The authors found the acute in-patient mental health services under severe pressure. They describe the impact of this situation both on care quality and on nursing practice, and make a number of recommendations for health authorities, providers, local authorities and nurse educators. [Book abstract]

1 January 1998

Publications section

3. Patient care in the community community psychiatric nursing summary information for 2000-01 England
Details from this summary include that the number of first contacts with the CPN service has fallen to 564,000 in 2000-01, a fall of 4 per cent since the previous year. First contacts occured at a rate of 11 per 1,000 population with the highest rate of 38 per cent per 1,000 population for those aged over 85 years and the lowest at two per 1,000 population for those aged under 16. In all adult age groups more women (13 per 1,000 population) were seen than men (10 per 1,000 population). Initial contacts which measure the number of new episodes of care started in a year were 328,000 for 2000-01; six per cent less than the previous year. Of initial contacts 58 per cent were women. Hospital staff accounted for 24 per cent of referrals to the CPN service in this period.

20 September 2001

Publications section

4. Refurbishment of psychiatric wards availability of additional capital funding for 2002/3
This letter announces that an additional £10 million is available this financial year to spend on improving the environment of psychiatric acute inpatient care. NHS Mental Health Trusts and Primary Care Trusts which provide mental health acute inpatient care, are invited to consider projects in consultation with their local Acute Care Forum (ACF). Proposals should be sent to SHA mental health leads who are asked to oversee the distribution of the SHA overall allocation.

1 January 2002

Dear colleague letters section

5. An audit pack for monitoring the care programme approach
The care programme approach (CPA) refers to an approach used by specialist psychiatric services to assess the care needs of, and provide a package of care for, people with severe mental illness. This pack contains two booklets: one constitutes a monitoring tool for the CPA while the other provides background and explanatory notes about the content of the tool. The monitoring tool is intended as a self-audit instrument to help services identify organisation or practice issues which might benefit from further examination. Section A considers the structure required for successful CPA, covering the quality of inter-agency working, the presence of policies and procedures, and management and administrative support. Section B contains standards statements relating to each step of the CPA process and Section C looks at outcomes, suggesting some measures to indicate the extent to which CPA has benefited patient care. The person/s responsible, and appropriate methods, for monitoring each element of the tool are suggested. Cites 17 references.

1 January 1996

Publications section

6. Inspection of arrangements for care programme approach/care management Kirklees Metropolitan Council April 1998
The inspection found high levels of integration between health and social services at strategic planning, management and operational levels. A good range of services for people with mental health problems were available, including help for people with long- term mental illness, and some facilities available 24 hours a day. There were good links between mental health and primary health care services. The Care Programme Approach (CPA) was well integrated with the social services care management systems, particularly with regard to allocation of community care funding. Service users and carers were consulted about service design. Approved Social Workers (ASWs) and Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPNs) worked in integrated teams. The report makes 13 recommendations for improvements to the service. [Book abstract]PLEASE NOTE: The scanned image of this publication is not available.

1 January 1998

Inspection reports section

7. Patient care in the community community psychiatric nursing summary information for 2001-02 England
The information in this publication, about patient contacts with the Community Psychiatric Nursing (CPN) service in England is collected on Department of Health annual return KC57. Ten Trusts were not able to provide information about their CPN services for 2001-02. All other Trusts known to provide a service made a return for 2001-02, although a few returns were incomplete. Estimates have been made of the missing data.

25 September 2002

Publications section

8. SSI inspection of SSD arrangements for care programme approach/care management Birmingham, January 1998
The inspection of the care programme approach (CPA) for mentally ill people was carried out in Birmingham during January 1998. It was one of 15 inspections across the country. Inspectors considered the joint policy between the Social Services Department (SSD), Health Authority (HA) and Trusts for implementing the CPA was commendable but the interpretation of the criteria varied between social workers and community mental health nurses and some joint bias had been created. The CPA was health driven with psychiatrists determining what level of CPA was relevant. The SSD was experiencing considerable difficulties in negotiating the reprovisioning of service with the North Trust following the closure of two psychiatric hospitals. Care management was not well integrated with CPA and was confusing to service users and GPs. Considerable progress had been made but there were fundamental issues that required resolution before the implementation of the CPA could be considered effective. [Book abstract].

1 January 1998

Inspection reports section

9. Patient care in the community NHS community mental health nursing (formerly community psychiatric nursing) summary information for 2002-03 England
This publication provides information about patient contacts with the NHS Community Mental Health Nursing (CMHN) service (formerly Community Psychiatric Nursing service) in England. The information is collected on Department of Health annual return KC57. A copy of the KC57 is at the end of this summary.

24 September 2003

Publications section

10. Hospital hostels an evaluation of four psychiatric care facilities
This report presents a comparative evaluation of hospital hostels for the housing and treatment of people with long term mental illnesses. The quantitative and qualitative methods employed in the study were piloted at a single hospital hostel, and then applied in three further hospital hostels over a one-year period. The study aimed to identify key factors in the therapeutic effectiveness of hospital hostels. Its main finding was that effective outcomes tended to be associated with low levels of restrictiveness, and more specifically with levels of restrictiveness which were appropriate for residents' levels of disablement. A major recommendation is that the term long stay should be dropped in favour of rehabilitation hostels. A series of twelve appendices contain documents relating to the methods used, including questionnaires devised by the author. Cites numerous references.

1 January 1998

Publications section

11. In-patients formally detained in hospitals under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other legislation NHS Trusts, Primary Care Trusts, high security psychiatric hospitals and private facilities 2001-2002
The Booklet provides information on detentions under the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983. People can be formally detained in hospital under various sections of this Act in the interests of their own health or safety or for the protection of other people. This booklet's main purpose is to present the data provided by individual Trusts, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Health Authorities (HAs). HAs used to collate returns for private mental nursing homes in their area. From April 2002 the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) performs this role.

28 March 2003

Publications section

12. Community care
Ambulance services, chiropody, clinical psychology, community mental health (psychiatric) nursing, contraceptive services, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, district nursing, health advice and support programmes, learning disability nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, specialist care nursing, speech and language therapy, community and NHS maternity services.

27 July 2004

Health care statistics section

13. Patient care in the community community psychiatric nursing summary information for 1995-96 England
Department of Health publication

1 January 1996

Publications section

14. Patient care in the community community psychiatric nursing summary information for 1998-99 England
Department of Health publication

1 January 1999

Publications section

15. COMMISSIONED STUDIES: ONGOING PSI 19
Project title Inpatient discharge procedures: The effect of a protocol on the transition to primary care of psychiatric patients Lead researcher Mr Simon Naji, University of Aberdeen Project summary The proposed study will assess the impact of a discharge procedure for psychiatric patients in respect of both process and outcome. Approximately 500 patients due to be discharged from acute psychiatric inpatient care will be randomly allocated to the current standard discharge procedure or to a novel discharge protocol designed to facilitate prompt and appropriate care from the primary care team.

10 April 2003

A-Z section

16. COMMISSIONED STUDIES: ONGOING PSI 19
Project title Inpatient discharge procedures: The effect of a protocol on the transition to primary care of psychiatric patients Lead researcher Mr Simon Naji, University of Aberdeen Project summary The proposed study will assess the impact of a discharge procedure for psychiatric patients in respect of both process and outcome. Approximately 500 patients due to be discharged from acute psychiatric inpatient care will be randomly allocated to the current standard discharge procedure or to a novel discharge protocol designed to facilitate prompt and appropriate care from the primary care team.

11 December 2003

A-Z section

17. Patient care in the community community psychiatric nursing summary information for 1996-97 England
Details from this summary include an increase of four per cent in the number of face-to face contacts with CPNs for 1996-97 compared to 1995-96; with 54% taking place in the patient's home, 19% at health centres, GP premises and clinics, and 11% at a hospital site. First contacts had increased by seven per cent in this period to 567,000 compared to the previous year. First contacts occured at the rate of 12% per 1,000 population with the highest rate of 33% for those aged over 85 years and the lowest at three per cent for those aged under 16. More women (14% per 1,000 population) were seen than men (nine per 1,000). Initial contacts which measure the number of new episodes of care started in a year were 380,000 for 1996-97, of which 61% were with women. Hospital staff accounted for 23% of referrals to the CPN service in this period.

1 January 1997

Publications section

18. The primary care of schizophrenia a conference organised by Research and Development for Psychiatry and the Department of Health and chaired by the Royal College of General Practitioners
This publication contains papers based on presentations at a conference on the primary care of schizophrenia. It aims to provide insights into the nature of schizophrenia, and its effects on patients and their families. It also covers what can be done to help them, with the emphasis on general practice and other primary care support networks. Thecomplexity of dealing with schizophrenia in the community is stressed. A wide range of residential facilities, day care and community support is called for to cover the functions previously served by mental hospitals. The impact of this on GPs is discussed, as well as the relationship between community mental health and primary care teams in dealing with schizophrenia. The roles of health authorities are also discussed. Areas meriting further study are identified including : research into the epidemiology of schizophrenia; improving education about the illness; and developing long-term management protocols. References cited at the end of each chapter.

1 January 1996

Publications section

19. Inspection of SSD's arrangements for care programme approach/care management for adults with mental health problems Newham January 1998
This inspection was part of a national programme carried out by the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) to evaluate the social services role in inter-agency co-operation in the provision of services for people eligible for registration on the Care Programme Approach (CPA) to mental health. An inspection team of two SSI inspectors, a nurse advisor, a researcher and a lay assessor interviewed users, carers and staff from the Newham Social Services Department and NHS in January 1998. They also saw housing staff from the local authority and independent sector, visited a residential care home and examined case records and other documents. The inspection found that, after a slow start in implementing CPA, a joint strategy for mental health services had been agreed in 1996, with a plan for action. Considerable effort had been put by all the agencies involved into securing additional resources needed to improve existing services. Three multi- disciplinary community health and two supported living teams had been set up. Priority should now be given to the co-ordination of CPA and care management and pulling services together into a coherent pattern with a comprehensive operational policy. An agreed model for risk assessment and management was urgently needed. The report made 26 recommendations. [Book abstract]PLEASE NOTE: The scanned image of this publication is not available.

1 January 1998

Inspection reports section

20. Social work practice with depressed mothers in child and family care
The link between maternal depression, child care and child welfare, together with its significance for policy and practice, has become increasingly acknowledged in recent years. Only recently, however, has this link begun to be reflected in social work research and practice. This book reports the results of a pathfinding study on work with depressed mothers in child and family care. It draws on research with over 300 families, and includes key aspects of interviews with nearly 100 depressed mothers and their social workers. Amongst the main issues examined are implications of maternal depression for partnership; child protection; family support and the needs of both the mothers and children. The findings include detailed analysis of the processes and practice, including the women's experiences of these processes. These findings have major implications for policy and practice in the areas of both childcare and mental health, and recommendations are made for the future. [Book abstract]

9 February 2001

Publications section

PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE FOR LIGHT !!!!!!!

KIND REGARDS COMMUNITY VOLUNTARY TEAM

PATIENT SAFETY KEY DOCUMENTS

2010-03-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

The Independent victims helpline (uk)
Patient safety key documents
DH-published documents about patient safety.
Coding for Success: Simple technology for safer patient care
Published: 16 February 2007

New guidance to promote and support use of auto identification (barcoding and similar technologies) to increase patient safety and improve efficiency has been launched. There is evidence of real improvements to patient safety when coding systems are used to match patients to their care – reduced medication errors, reduced risk of wrong site surgery, accurate track and trace of surgical instruments, equipment and other devices and much better record keeping. Using coding to manage supplies and purchasing electronically can cut costs dramatically as well as improve efficiency.

This document has been written in partnership with DH, NPSA, MHRA, CfH and PASA. It recommends both industry and NHS adopt the GS1 system of coding standards and sets out an action plan that supports both NHS and industry.

Coding for Success: Simple technology for safer patient careSafety first: a report for patients, clinicians and healthcare managers
Published: 15 December 2006

This report was commissioned by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, to reconsider the organisation arrangements currently in place to ensure that patient safety is at the heart of the healthcare agenda. The report makes a number of key recommendations to build on the progress already achieved in embedding patient safety in the NHS.

Safety first: a report for patients, clinicians and healthcare managersRisk assessment of spinal procedures
The Chief Medical Officer's report An Organisation with a Memory set a goal for reducing to zero the number of patients dying or being paralysed by maladministered spinal injections. Among other measures toward this target, the Department of Health has been working to identify a safe spinal connector solution. The National Patient Safety Agency recently produced a risk assessment of spinal procedures with current safeguards and with three proposed new connector design options. An executive briefing explores Department of Health work to date.

Download Executive Summary (PDF, 33K)Design for patient safety
Published: 01/02/2004

The Design for Patient Safety report was jointly funded by the Design Council, a body that advises businesses and organisations on design, and the Department of Health. It follows an initial study undertaken by teams at The Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics, The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre and the Cambridge Engineering Design Centre.

Design for patient safetyHSC 2003/010 - Updated national guidance on the safe administration of intrathecal chemotherapy
This circular sets out the minimum requirements of an NHS Trust providing an intrathecal chemotherapy service. It also sets out what to do in the exceptional circumstance where an intrathecal chemotherapy procedure needs to take place in a Trust that should not normally provide this service. This guidance replaces circular, HSC 2001/022.

HSC 2003/010 - Updated national guidance on the safe administration of intrathecal chemotherapyAnnual report of the Chief Medical Officer 2002
This annual report highlights selected health issues from 2002 and the actions taken to overcome health problems.

Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer 2002Delivering the NHS Plan: next steps on investment, next steps on reform
Published: 18/04/2002

In this document the Secretary of State for Health presented a progress report on the NHS Plan. He detailed what had been achieved to date and the programme of changes yet to come. This document presented a progress report on the NHS plan up to 2002. Achievements to this point and planned changes to the programme were detailed.

Delivering the NHS Plan: next steps on investment, next steps on reformBuilding a safer NHS for patients - implementing an organisation with a memory
Published: 17/04/2001

'Building a safer NHS for patients' sets out the Government's plans for promoting patient safety.

Building a safer NHS for patients - implementing an organisation with a memoryExternal Inquiry into the adverse incident that occurred at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, 4th January 2001
Published: 19/04/2001

The report details the work of the enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of this patient, who received, by intrathecal (spinal) administration, the correct treatment followed by Vincristine which 'should never be administered by the intrathecal route because it is nearly always fatal'.

External Inquiry into the adverse incident that occurred at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, 4th January 2001The prevention of intrathecal medication errors: a report to the Chief Medical Officer
Published: 19/04/2001

Administration of Vinca alkaloids such as vincristine by the spinal route, rather than intravenously, invariably causes death or neurological damage. This catastrophic clinical error has arisen because of confusion of the drug with a cytotoxic agent intended to be given intrathecally (usually methotrexate). Five such incidents have occured in NHS hospitals in the past decade, representing an estimated rate of about three per 100,000 intrathecal chemotherapy treatments. This report adopts a systems approach to identify factors which have contributed to these errors and explores safety measures to reduce risk. Recommendations are made for an immediate action plan, implemented by national guidance and reinforced by clinical governance. Key elements are: formal designation within each Trust of medical staff competent to give intrathecal chemotherapy; steps to ensure that intrathecal and intravenous cytotoxic drug treatments are given at different times, by different people and in different clinical locations. Cites 10 references [Book abstract]

The prevention of intrathecal medication errors: a report to the Chief Medical OfficerAn organisation with a memory
Published: 13/06/2000

Adverse health care events cannot be eliminated from complex modern health care but the recommendations of this expert group are designed to ensure that lessons from the past are used to reduce the risk to patients in the future. The cost of adverse events is increasing; there is also a distressing similarity present in some of them. With clinical governance comes an opportunity to focus upon this problem. The extent of the serious failures in healthcare is outlined but the reporting and information systems of the NHS give an incomplete picture. Very little research on reporting and information systems has been done in UK. Specific types of adverse events are seen to repeat themselves at intervals, thus demonstrating that lessons have not been learned. To make progress four key areas need to be addressed throughout the service; these are detailed in ten recommendations. Cites 69 references in chapter order.

An organisation with a memory

PATIENT SAFETY

2010-03-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE(UK)

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Cosmetic surgeryYou are here:Home >> Public health >> Patient safetyEmail this page
Patient safety
Ensuring the safety of everyone who comes into contact with health services is one of the most important challenges facing health care today.
About patient safety
Patient safety is the process by which an organisation makes patient care safer. This should involve : risk assessment, the identification and management of patient-related risks; the reporting and analysis of incidents; and the capacity to learn from and follow-up on incidents and implement solutions to minimise the risk of them occurring (source: Seven steps to patient safety)

About patient safetyTimeline: patient safety policy in the last ten yearsSeven steps to patient safety: full reference guide (opens new window)Highlights
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EHIC & Information for travellersNational Patient Safety Agency (opens new window)
The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) is a Special Health Authority created to co-ordinate the efforts of all those involved in healthcare, and more importantly to learn from patient safety incidents occurring in the NHS.

National Patient Safety Agency (opens new window) Directions to the National Patient Safety Agency Central Alerting System (CAS) (opens new window)
A new, flexible IT system for distributing alerts, CAS subsumes the Safety Alert Broadcast System (SABS) and Public Health Link (PHL) into a more robust and suitable technology for distributing safety alerts, emergency alerts, drug alerts, Dear Doctor letters, and MDA alerts.

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HEALTH SERVICE OMBUDSMAN

2010-01-25T01:57:00.000-08:00

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Last updated: 27

FARA A Family For Those Without

2010-01-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

THE INDPENDENT COMMUNITY HELPLINE (UK)

Contacts

FARA CHARITY OFFICE
51 HIGH STREET
WALSINGHAM
NORFOLK NR22 6BZ

Telephone +44(0)1328 821 444
FAX +44(0)1328 821 555
E mail mail@faracharity.org

FARA Fpoundation Registed Charity Charity Number no 1004911
Royal Patron HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES
PATRONS Princess Marina Sturdza,Nicole Kidman
http://www.faracharity.org/

After Adoption advice and web information

2010-01-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

The Independent Victims Helpline (UK)

HERE IS THE WEBSIGHT INFORMATION THAT HOPEFULLY BE HELPFUL TO ALL THAT HAVE EXPRIENCE
OF ADOPTION AFTER BEING INSIDE CARE

http://www.afteradoption.org.uk/

helpling heros ex forces ex-services

2009-12-25T03:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Search Help for Heroes H4H QUICK LINKS & SEARCH HOME WHO ARE WE? Trustees Patrons Hero Patrons J. Beharry VC P. Norton GC H4H Offices Tidworth Downton County Coordinators Hero The Bear Key Supporters The Sun Phils Millions Peta The Pin Up Look who is wearing one! Join H4H H4H AGM WHAT WE DO H4H Current Appeal Launchpad To Life What We Do How We Spend Your Money H4H At A Glance Stats About H4H H4H Speeches Latest Newletter H4H Financials AGM Review Grant Application Thank You MoS Wall Of Honour Unsung Heroes H4H PROJECTS Headley Court Build Personnel Recovery Centres Combat Stress BLESMA Battle Back Troop Aid FUNDRAISE H4H Challenges Corporate Fundraising Current Corporate Sponsors Charity Of The Year Payroll Giving Staff Events Corporate Donations Commercial Partnerships Sponsor a H4H Event Start Fundraising Fundraise For H4H 9 Steps To Fundraise Online Donations JustGiving BmyCharity Event Registration Banners, Collection Tins etc... Media - Logo etc... Posters H4H Info Fundraising Info Fundraising Ideas Fundraising Points To Consider Celebrities, Public Figures & Trusts Fundraise Safely Fundraise Legally Financial Information Gift Aid Completed Your Event? Tell Us How It Went! Pay Us Your Fundraising Money How We Spend Your Money Donate Now EVENTS & FUNDRAISERS Promotions H4H Challenges Fundraising Events Red Letter Events Extraordinary Events Featured Events National Events International Events Sporting Events Completed Events Completed Events London Marathon 2009 Band Of Brothers BR 2009 Rugby Challenge Match 2008 Battlefield Bike Ride 2008 Thank You MoS Wall Of Honour Unsung Heroes NEWS Latest News H4H Networking Photo Of The Week The Millie Awards H4H In The News Newsletter Archive SHOP Q&A MEDIA Request Media Downloads Web Theatre Image Gallery LINKS Service Charities Corporate Supporters

"It’s about the blokes, our men and women of the Armed Forces. It’s about Derek, a rugby player who has lost both his legs, it’s about Carl whose jaw is wired up so he has been drinking through a straw. It’s about Richard who was handed a mobile phone as he lay on the stretcher so he could say goodbye to his wife. It’s about Ben, it’s about Steven and Andy and Mark, it’s about them all. They are just blokes but they are our blokes; they are our heroes. We want to help our heroes."

About Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes (H4H) was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry after a profoundly moving visit to Selly Oak Hospital in the summer of 2007. Bryn and Emma met some extraordinarily brave young people who had been badly wounded and they just wanted to do something to help.

Read More

The charity was launched in October 2007 and, with the backing and support of Celebrities, including Jeremy and Francie Clarkson, The Royal Family, The Media and countless ordinary decent people, it has raised over £1m a month since then.

Help for Heroes is strictly non-political. We have no affiliation with any political party and we do not endorse the use of our name for the promotion of any political viewpoint. The money that we raise at Help for Heroes is used to support wounded Servicemen and women of every colour and creed and we strongly oppose any individual or political party who believes otherwise, and those who seek to use the charity’s name for their own political gain.

Read about our wonderful team in Downton & Tidworth . . .

The message is simple: H4H does not seek to criticise or be political, we simply want to help and to do so by asking everyone to do their bit to raise money. Once that money is raised, we go to the experts in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for guidance as to how best to spend it. It is our intention to spend all we raise on the practical, direct support of those wounded in the service of our country since 9/11.

Read about our Headley Court Project . . .

We give capped grants to those charities and groups best able to provide the facilities and services we want our men and women to have. We do not deliver individual benevolence, as that is the work of existing Service Charities which we work very closely with.

Read our Annual Review . . .

When we began, we wanted to ensure that we would be as efficient as possible so our policy is money in and money out. We are not trying to build large reserves, we want your money to be used and quickly. We have either spent or allocated £24m to date on facilities and services. We can spend all we get, so don’t stop!

We set up H4H Trading to sell products and the profits from these sales mean that we can cover nearly all of our operating costs so rest assured, if you give us £10, currently at least £9.80 will go to the cause…. and that is better than any other charity we know of.

We are working hard to raise more money and we are passionate about what we are doing. It is needed, it is appreciated and we are making a real difference to the lives of some extraordinary young men and women. Please join us in helping our Heroes.

Thank you

The Help for Heroes Team

How we spend your money

Some of examples of how your donations have been spent.

Headley Court: The £8m Help for Heroes Rehabilitation Complex at the TriService Rehabilitation centre in Epsom, Surrey, is under construction and due to open in the spring of 2010.

Combat Stress: We are funding the £3.5 extension to the treatment centre at Leatherhead and the complex will be finished in May 2010.

Norton House: We have contributed £500,000 to SSAFA - Forces Help, towards the provision of a Relative’s House at Selly Oak. The house is a ‘home from home’ for the relatives visiting their loved ones in hospital. The house opened earlier this year and has been a resounding success.

Battle Back: We fund Battle Back, the military initiative based at Headley Court, that enables the wounded to enjoy adventure training and many of them are now training to compete at international level.

Troop Aid: We support Troop Aid who supply all of our wounded with a grab bag of essentials to make their stay at hospital more comfortable.

Skill Force: We have provided funds to enable rehabilitating servicemen to undergo an internship and learn new skills working with and inspiring schoolchildren.

Not Forgotten Association: A grant of £60k all ring-fenced for post 9/11 injured and or with disabilities and 50% of the grant specifically to support the participation of servicemen and women (including staff carers where necessary) from DRMC Headley Court, including a proportion of the event overhead.

Blesma: We have provided funds to go towards funding four adventurous events organised by BLESMA, including a transatlantic yacht race, a ski trip to Colorado, ski bobbing in Austria and the 2009 Fastnet challenge.

Launch Pad to Life: Our latest appeal, announced in March 2009, is to raise £20m to provide seven Personnel Recovery Centres for the wounded. The wounded will be able to live in purpose built houses in seven regional centres while they learn new skills to equip them for their futures, whether in the military or on to civilian life.

The first centre, The Mark Wright GC house in Edinburgh, opened in August 2009 and houses in Colchester, Catterick, Tidworth and Aldershot will follow this as quickly as we can raise the funds and build them.

Thank you

The Help for Heroes Team

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Personnel Recovery Centres (PRCtrs)

Help for Heroes’ latest venture is funding the establishment of Personnel Recovery Centres (PRCtrs) across the UK.

PRCtrs will provide a launch pad to life for seriously wounded or long term sick service personnel, supporting them as they make the transition to a fulfilling future. Prior to the Personnel Recovery Centre, once patients left hospital or the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, most continued to convalesce at home. But not all families can provide the level of support and care that is needed to allow patients to return to duty or gain a smooth transition to a skilled and supported civilian life.

PRCtrs will provide wounded service personnel with an individually tailored programme, which takes into account their particular injury and skill set. Each centre will be attached to a garrison, so that wounded service personnel can stay within a structured military environment close to friends and family, and take advantage of the garrison facilities. Although it is hoped that every soldier wounded in the service of their country will be able to return to duty, there will be many who will be destined to leave the services, and it is important that they receive assistance in this.

The Pathfinder PRCtr, the Mark Wright GC House, opened in Edinburgh on August 17, 2009, as a partnership between Help for Heroes, which is funding the project, the service charity Erskine, which provided the building, and the army, which will provide the military staff and the programme for the twelve residents. The creation of further PRCtrs, delivered as quickly as possible, is now an absolute priority for H4H and the Army. Help for Heroes is raising money to open further, fully comprehensive centres accommodating 20 residents with larger staff in Colchester, Catterick, Tidworth, Aldershot and a more permanent solution in Edinburgh.

Get Involved - Do your bit Do your bit . . .
Help For Heroes called for the people of Great Britain to help us raise money for wounded service personnel and boy, have you stepped up to the challenge!!!

All over the country, people are baking cakes, shaving heads, parachuting, walking, hiking, cycling and much much more to raise money for our wounded boys and girls. Don’t feel you have to lay on a massive event, every event is special to us and each and every contribution is valued the same way.

The Sun campaign at the end of March has raised huge awareness for the charity and we have had a staggering total of 6,000 events registered so far. Amazingly they are still coming in thick and fast, with an average of 300 events put on to raise money for Help for Heroes each week.

To all those that have done events, we would just like to say a HUGE thank you, and for those of you about to do your bit, good luck with whatever you have planned!
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missing person advice

2009-06-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

The independent victims helpline uk
The Independent Helpline support for missing people
http://www.missingpeople.org.uk/friendsfamily/

please dont give up hope

personal history

2008-01-19T03:45:00.000-08:00

After suffering attack forced to create website to help others turn their Lives Around after expriencing Trauma

If Mr Mark Ricketts hadnt of escaped as it was planned to reintegrate him back in the same Hospital and Broadmoor not keeping records of Victims before the new law 1 july 2005 domestic violence act 2005 is a step in the right direction but should be retrospective towards all victims and Families of Victims Should also get legal warnings of escapes and reinteregration if the seed of revenge be within patient or offender EQUALITY DUE THE LAW ALL VICTIMS SHOULD BE TREATED FAIRLY AND IF IT COULD HAPPEN TO ME THEN THEIR ARE OTHER VICTIMS THIS STILL COULD HAPPENED TO ANY OTHER VICTIM WHO WAS ATTACKED BEFORE CHANGE IN LAW IF THE DEFENDENT WAS DETAINED BEFORE THE NEW LAW

Anyone who wants to help please text the Number Below keep them in the Sky
many thanks for your kindness

Christine Margetts
London's Air Ambulance
Fundraising Manager
Direct Line: 0207 943 1302
Mobile: 07932695389
Fax: 0207 943 1331
www.londonsairambulance.com
Charity number: 801013
Text 88101 to donate to London's Air Ambulance

Text LAA1 to donate 90p (texts cost £1.50)
Text LAA3 to donate £1.50 (texts cost £3.00)
Text LAA5 to donate £3.00 (texts cost £5.00)

Or text LAA10 to 83149 to donate 50p a month (texts cost £1)

Terms and conditions apply. Please check our website before texting

For more information about the case, please contact Mark Kemp on 07957 444105

you may like to check the lastest news about calling for closure
of Springfields Hospital published inside WandsWorth Guargian news paper as THE LOCAL PEOPLE FEAR ESCAPES FROM MENTAL HEALTH UNITS
AS ITS A KNOWN FACT THAT BROADMOOR HOSPITAL TRANSFERES PATIENTS THERE WERE THERE ISNT ANY ALARM SYSTEM IN PLACE IF THERE ANY ESCAPES OF DANGEROUS PATIENTS WHO HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF VIOLENCE
MURDERS SEX OFFENDERS ROBBERS KNIFE OFFENDERS
BROADMOOR HAS AN ALARM SYSTEM IN PLACE WOULDNT BE FAIR WERE ITS BEEN PROVEN TO WORK AND MAKE COMMUNITY FEEL SAFE BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEMSELFS AND FAMILIES AND HELP RECAPTURE PATIENTS
BE INFORMING THE POLICE OF SUSPICIOUS PERSONS WITHIN THE AREA
IF THEY DONT CLOSE IT DOWN SAFE GAURDS IN PLACE ALARMS GATES THAT CLOSE TO CHECK IF PATIENTS HAVENT WONDERED OFF WHEN BE ABLE TO WALK THE GROUNDS

here a bbc report on springfields Hospital
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7895899.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5031635/Police-warning-after-rapist-escapes.html

here a link to self-diagnosis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_illness
THE MENTAL HEALT ACT 1983 WITH AMENDMENTS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_illness
COPY AND PASTE FOR LINK

postparum support

2007-12-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE(UK)

http://www.hopeline.com/
on-line support network

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_Support_International
PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK FOR ADVICE AND SUPPORT

http://www.healthfinder.gov/orgs/HR2373.htm
USA HEALTH FINDER

'No-one listens to the patients'

2007-11-30T12:22:00.000-08:00

'No-one listens to the patients'
By Laura Smith-Spark
BBC News Online

Jason Pegler found hospital treatment was like being in prison
Proposals to allow the enforced treatment or detention of mental health patients have been watered down in the face of pressure from campaigners.
Two people who have experienced mental illness tell BBC News Online why it is so important to listen to those who have been through the system.
Jason Pegler, a 29-year-old publisher from London, realised his life would never be the same again after he was hospitalised for six months, aged 17, for manic depression.
He said: "Being in hospital you feel like you are no longer a human being and it's like being in prison when you haven't done anything wrong."
Counter-productive
The 2002 draft Mental Health Bill proposed measures to detain people for their own protection and the protection of others - even if their condition was not treatable and they had committed no offence.
The criteria under which people can be detained have been tightened under Wednesday's new draft bill but the proposals still have many critics.
Mr Pegler, who has spent time in five different hospitals and remains on medication voluntarily, said any move to force people into treatment would be counter-productive.

They are not somewhere you want to put your worst enemy, let alone yourself or a close friend or member of your family

Jason Pegler

Mental health plans 'diluted'

"What will happen is people won't seek help from the health service and they will be more isolated," he said.
"I think compulsory treatment is a human rights violation.
"What I would want as a patient is to be treated as a human being, not as someone who has done something wrong - and that's what hospitals are like.
"They are not somewhere you want to put your worst enemy, let alone yourself or a close friend or member of your family."
He argues health professionals and society need to take a more humanitarian approach to mental illness by realising it could affect everyone.
'Not listening'
Mr Pegler, who published his autobiography A Can of Madness in 2002, said it was only by removing the taboo around mental illness that attitudes would change.
The vast majority of people were not given the information they needed while in hospital or receiving treatment, he said, which made them more vulnerable.
"I felt mental health services had let me down and society let me down and I felt I would have mental health problems for the rest of my life," he said.
"It took me more than eight years to emotionally get over it.

If the legislation is not careful, it will feel like we are being punished because our rights are being taken away

Anne Beales, Maca
"Mental health is meant to be a government priority and yet they are not listening to the patients who actually go through the service."
Anne Beales, who works with mental health charity Maca, said it was vital people were involved in their own treatment rather than having it imposed on them.
The 47-year-old, from Littlehampton in West Sussex, has experienced several bouts of depressive illness - but has found her way through each one in different ways.
She said: "When you experience distress the things you look for are safety and to be looked after.

Patients argue they must have choices in their own treatment
"If the legislation is not careful, it will feel like we are being punished because our rights are being taken away and that's not helpful at all.
"The process of having your rights taken away can be as traumatic as the feeling of terrible distress because it makes you feel more powerless and leaves you with no choice."
Ms Beales said the government ought to view compulsory treatment in terms of patients' rights to housing, employment and no discrimination from society.
"Their idea of treatment and our idea of treatment are very different," she said.
"What government legislation has to do is support us in our recovery - and that means allowing us choices, allowing us privacy and affording us respect."

NEAR DEATH EXPRIENCES

2007-11-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

[Show more]
Near-death experience
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"NDE" redirects here. For other uses, see NDE (disambiguation).

Ascent in the Empyrean (Hieronymus Bosch)A near-death experience (NDE) refers to a broad range of personal experiences associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations ranging from detachment from the body, feelings of levitation, extreme fear, security, or warmth, the experience of absolute dissolution, and the presence of a light, which some people [specify] interpret as a deity or spiritual presence.[citation needed] Many cultures and individuals revere NDEs as a paranormal and spiritual glimpse into the afterlife.

Such cases are usually reported after an individual has been pronounced clinically dead, or otherwise very close to death, hence the entitlement near-death experience. With recent developments in cardiac resuscitation techniques, the number of NDEs reported is continually increasing.[citation needed] Most of the scientific community regards such experiences as hallucinatory[1][2][3][4][5], while paranormal specialists and some mainstream scientists claim them to be evidence of an after life.[6][7]

Popular interest in near-death experiences was initially sparked by Raymond Moody, Jr's 1975 book "Life After Life" and the founding of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) in 1978. According to a Gallup poll, approximately eight million Americans claim to have had a near-death experience.[8] NDEs are among the phenomena studied in the fields of parapsychology, psychology, psychiatry,[9] and hospital medicine.[10] [11]

Contents [hide]
1 Characteristics
2 Research
2.1 Variance in NDE Studies
2.2 Biological Analysis and Theories
2.3 Effects
3 Spiritual Viewpoints
3.1 Religious and Physiological Views
4 See also
5 Interviews
6 References
6.1 Footnotes
7 Further reading
7.1 Personal experiences
7.2 Fiction
8 External links
8.1 As an afterlife experience
8.2 Neutral
8.3 As a physiological and psychological experience

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE (UK)
No medical explanation for near death experiences
10:23 14 December 2001
NewScientist.com news service
Emma Young

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The Lancet

Medical explanations cannot account for near death experiences (NDEs), according to the results of the biggest prospective study to date of patients who were resuscitated after clinical death. However, patients who reported an NDE were more likely to die soon afterwards.

Pim Van Lommel and his team at Hospital Rijnstate in the Netherlands interviewed 344 patients who were resuscitated after heart failure at 10 hospitals across the country. The patients were questioned as soon as they were well enough.

Eighteen per cent reported an NDE - classed as a memory of "a special state of consciousness, including specific elements such as out-of-body experience, pleasant feelings and seeing a tunnel."

But the team found no link between NDEs and drugs used to treat the patients, the duration of cardiac arrest or unconsciousness, or the patients' reports of the degree to which they feared death before the incident.

"This was the surprising thing," van Lommel says. "It's always said that NDEs are just a phenomenon relating to the dying brain and the lack of oxygen to the brain cells. But that's not true. If there was a physiological cause, all the patients should have had an NDE."

Letting go
The patients were mostly elderly, with an average age of 62. Van Lommel found that those that reported an NDE were significantly more likely to die within 30 days.

"There is the idea that people can decide to some extent when they die," says van Lommel. "Perhaps when they had an NDE, their fear of death was over and they could let go."

The team did find that patients who were under 60 and female were more likely to report an NDE. But the causes of the experience remain a mystery, van Lommel says.

His team questioned surviving NDE patients again two years after their resuscitation, and then after eight years. Most of the patients recalled the event in striking detail. And most showed significant psychological changes, the team reports. The 23 NDE patients who were still alive eight years later "had become more emotionally vulnerable and empathic", they write.

Pushing the limit
Van Lommel's team report anecdotal stories of patients recalling events that happened around them during out of body experiences while they were clinically dead. These experiences "push at the limit of medical ideas about the range of human consciousness and the mind/brain relationship," Van Lommel says.

Christopher French, at the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths College, London, says the team's paper is "intriguing", though he notes that van Lommel's team failed to contact the patients for corroboration. He points out that NDEs are impossible to objectively verify - and that out of body experiences have not been proved to exist.

But, in a commentary on the research, he writes: "the out of body component of the NDE offers probably the best hope of launching any kind of attack on current concepts of the relationship between consciousness and brain function."

If researchers could prove that clinically dead patients, with no electrical activity in their cortex, can be aware of events around them and form memories, this would suggest that the brain does not generate consciousness, French and Van Lommel think.

Journal reference: The Lancet (vol 358, p 2039)

[edit] Characteristics
The phenomenology of an NDE usually includes physiological, psychological and alleged transcendental aspects.[12] Typically, the experience follows a distinct progression: [13] [14] [15]

a very unpleasant sound/noise is the first sensory impression to be noticed (R. Moody: Life after Life);
a sense of being dead;
pleasant emotions; calmness and serenity;
an out-of-body experience; a sensation of floating above one's own body and seeing the surrounding area;
a sensation of moving upwards through a bright tunnel or narrow passageway;
meeting deceased relatives or spiritual figures;
encountering a being of light, or a light (often interpreted as being the Christian God or another divine figure);
being given a life review;
reaching a border or boundary;
a feeling of being returned to the body, often accompanied by a reluctance.
However, some people have also experienced extremely distressing NDEs, which can manifest in forewarning of a "Hell" or a sense of dread towards the cessation of their life in its current state.

According to the Rasch Scale, a "core" near-death experience encompasses peace, joy, and harmony, followed by insight and mystical or religious experiences.[16] The most intense NDEs are reported to have an envolvment and awareness of things occurring in a different place or time, and some of these observations are said to have been evidential.

Clinical circumstances that are thought to lead to a NDE include conditions such as: cardiac arrest, shock in postpartum loss of blood or in perioperative complications, septic or anaphylactic shock, electrocution, coma, intracerebral haemorrhage or cerebral infarction, attempted suicide, near-drowning or asphyxia, apnoea, and serious depression.[15] Many NDEs occur after a crucial experience (e.g. when a patient can hear that he or she is declared to be dead by a doctor or nurse), or when a person has the subjective impression to be in a fatal situation (e.g. during a near-miss automobile accident). In contrast to common belief, attempted suicides do not lead more often to unpleasant NDEs than unintended near-death situations.[17]

[edit] Research
Interest in the NDE was originally spurred by the research of such pioneers as Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, George Ritchie, and Raymond Moody Jr. Moody's book Life After Life, which was released in 1975, and brought a great deal of attention to the topic of NDEs.[18] This was soon followed by the establishment of the International Association for Near-death Studies (IANDS), founded in 1978, in order to meet the needs of early researchers and those with NDE experiences within this field of research. Today the association includes researchers, health care professionals, NDE-experiencers and people close to experiencers, as well as other interested people. One of its main goals is to promote responsible and multi-disciplinary investigation of near-death and similar experiences.

Later researchers, such as Bruce Greyson, Kenneth Ring and Michael Sabom, introduced the study of near-death experiences to the academic setting. The medical community has been somewhat reluctant to address the phenomenon of NDEs, and money granted for research has been relatively scarce.[18] However, although the research was not always welcomed by the general academic community, both Greyson and Ring made significant contributions in order to increase the respectability of near-death research.[19] Major contributions to the field include the construction of a Weighted Core Experience Index[20] in order to measure the depth of the near-death experience, and the construction of the near-death experience scale,[21] in order to differentiate between subjects that are more or less likely to have experienced a classical NDE. The NDE-scale also aims to differentiate between what the field claims are "true" NDEs and syndromes or stress responses that are not related to an NDE, such as the similar incidents experienced by sufferers of epilepsy. Greyson's NDE-scale was later found to fit the Rasch rating scale model.[22]

Other contributors to the research on near-death experiences come from the disciplines of medicine, psychology and psychiatry. Greyson (1997) has also brought attention to the near-death experience as a focus of clinical attention, while Morse et al. (1985; 1986) have investigated near-death experiences in a pediatric population.

Neuro-biological factors in the experience have been investigated by researchers within the field of medical science and psychiatry (Mayank and Mukesh, 2004; Jansen, 1995; Thomas, 2004). Among the researchers and commentators who tend to emphasize a naturalistic and neurological base, for the experience, are the British psychologist Susan Blackmore (1993) and the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, Michael Shermer (1998).

Among the scientific and academic journals that have published, or are regularly publishing new research on the subject of NDEs, are: Journal of Near-Death Studies, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, British Journal of Psychology, American Journal of Disease of Children, Resuscitation, The Lancet, Death Studies, and the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

[edit] Variance in NDE Studies
The prevalence of NDEs has been variable in the studies that have been performed. According to the Gallup and Proctor survey in 1980-1981, of a representative sample of the American population, data showed that 15% had an NDE.[23] Though, Knoblauch in 2001 performed a more selective study in Germany and found that 4% of the sample population had experienced an NDE.[24] However, the information gathered from these studies may be subjected to the broad timeframe and location of the investigation.

Perera et al in 2005 conducted a telephone survey of a representative sample of the Australian population, as part of the Roy Morgan Catibus Survey, and concluded that 8.9% of the population had experienced an NDE.[25] In a more clinical setting, van Lommel et al (2001), a cardiologist from Netherlands, studied a group of patients who had suffered cardiac arrests and who were successfully revived. They found that 18% of these patients had an NDE, with 12% of those being core experiences.

According to Martens (1994), the only satisfying method to address the NDE-issue would be an international multicentric data collection within the framework for standardized reporting of cardiac arrest events. The use of cardiac-arrest criteria as a basis for NDE research has been a common approach among the European branch of the research field.[26]

[edit] Biological Analysis and Theories
In the 1990s, Dr. Rick Strassman conducted research on the psychedelic drug Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) at the University of New Mexico. Strassman advanced the theory that a massive release of DMT from the pineal gland prior to death or near-death was the cause of the near-death experience phenomenon. Only two of his test subjects reported NDE-like aural or visual hallucinations, although many reported feeling as though they had entered a state similar to the classical NDE. His explanation for this was the possible lack of panic involved in the clinical setting and possible dosage differences between those administered and those encountered in actual NDE cases. All subjects in the study were also very experienced users of DMT and/or other psychedelic/entheogenic agents. Some speculators consider that if subjects without prior knowledge on the effects of DMT been used during the experiment, that it is possible more volunteers would have reported feeling as though they had experienced an NDE.

Critics have argued that neurobiological models often fail to explain NDEs that result from close brushes with death, where the brain does not actually suffer physical trauma, such as a near-miss automobile accident. Such events may however have neurobiological effects caused by stress.

In a new theory devised by Kinseher in 2006, the knowledge of the Sensory Autonomic System is applied in the NDE phenomenon. His theory states that the experience of looming death is an extremely strange paradox to a living organism - and therefore it will start the NDE: during the NDE, the individual becomes capable of "seeing" the brain performing a scan of the whole episodic memory (even prenatal experiences), in order to find a stored experience which is comparable to the input information of death. All these scanned and retrieved bits of information are permanently evaluated by the actual mind, as it is searching for a coping mechanism out of the potentially fatal situation. Kinseher feels this is the reason why a near-death experience is so unusual.

The theory also states that out-of-body experiences, accompanied with NDEs, are an attempt by the brain to create a mental overview of the situation and the surrounding world. The brain then transforms the input from sense organs and stored experience (knowledge) into a dream-like idea about oneself and the surrounding area.

Whether or not these experiences are hallucinatory, they do have a profound impact on the observer. Many psychologists not necessarily pursuing the paranormal, such as Susan Blackmore, have recognized this. These scientists are not trying to debunk the experience, so much so as searching for biological reasons that cause an NDE.[27]

[edit] Effects
Main article: Effects of near-death experiences
Near-death experiences can have tremendous effects on the people who have them, their families, and medical workers.

[edit] Spiritual Viewpoints
Some view the NDE the precursor to an afterlife experience, claiming that the NDE cannot be completely explained by physiological or psychological causes, and that consciousness can function independently of brain activity.[28] Many NDE-accounts seem to include elements which, according to several theorists, can only be explained by an out-of-body consciousness. For example, in one account, a woman accurately described a surgical instrument she had not seen previously, as well as a conversation that occurred while she was under general anesthesia.[29] In another account, from a proactive Dutch NDE study [2], a nurse removed the dentures of an unconscious heart attack victim, and was asked by him after his recovery to return them. It might be difficult to explain in conventional terms how an unconscious patient could later have recognized the nurse.[30]

Dr. Michael Sabom reports a case about a woman who underwent surgery for an aneurysm. The woman reported an out-of-body experience that she claimed continued through a brief period of the absence of any EEG activity. If true, this would seem to challenge the belief by many that consciousness is situated entirely within the brain.[31]

A majority of individuals who experience an NDE see it as a verification of the existence of an afterlife.[32] This includes those with agnostic/atheist inclinations before the experience. Many former atheists, such as the Reverend Howard Storm[33][34] have adopted a more spiritual viewpoint after their NDEs. Howard Storm's NDE might also be characterized as a distressing near-death experience. The distressing aspects of some NDE's are discussed more closely by Greyson & Bush (1992).

Greyson claims that "No one physiological or psychological model by itself explains all the common features of NDE. The paradoxical occurrence of heightened, lucid awareness and logical thought processes during a period of impaired cerebral perfusion raises particular perplexing questions for our current understanding of consciousness and its relation to brain function. A clear sensorium and complex perceptual processes during a period of apparent clinical death challenge the concept that consciousness is localized exclusively in the brain."[35]

A few people feel that research on NDEs occurring in the blind can be interpreted to support an argument that consciousness survives bodily death. Dr. Kenneth Ring claims in the book "Mindsight: Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind" that up to 80% of his sample studied reported some visual awareness during their NDE or out of body experience.[36]Skeptics however question the accuracy of their visual awareness [37]

[edit] Religious and Physiological Views
Main article: Religious and physiological views of near-death experiences
There are many religious and physiological views about NDEs, such as the Tibetan belief of bardo; a transpersonal dimension that houses souls awaiting reincarnation.

[edit] See also
Out-of-body experience
Near-Death Studies
Alister Hardy
Beyond and Back
Form constant
Sheol
Lobsang Rampa
Lazarus phenomenon
Suspended animation
Premature burial
Near-birth experience

[edit] Interviews
Play and the Paranormal A Conversation with Dr. Raymond Moody

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes
^ Buzzi, Giorgio. "Correspondence: Near-Death Experiences." Lancet. Vol. 359, Issue 9323 (June 15, 2002): 2116-2117.
^ Bressloff, Paul C., Jack D. Cowan, Martin Golubitsky, Peter J. Thomas, and Matthew C. Wiener. "What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us About the Visual Cortex." Neural Computation. Vol. 14, No. 3 (March 2002): 473-491.
^ Britton, Willoughby B. and Richard R. Bootzin. "Near-Death Experiences and the Temporal Lobe." Psychological Science. Vol. 15, No. 4 (April 2004): 254-258.
^ Bünning, Silvia and Olaf Blanke. "The Out-of Body Experience: Precipitating Factors and Neural Correlates." In The Boundaries of Consciousness: Neurobiology and Neuropathology, ed. Steven Laureys. New York: Elsevier Science, 2005: 331-350.
^ Blackmore, Susan:Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences (1993). London, Grafton.
^ Grossman, Neil (Indiana University and University of Illinois), Who's Afraid of Life After Death? Why NDE Evidence is Ignored, Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), 2002
^ Fontana, David (Cardiff University and Liverpool John Moores University), Does Mind Survive Physical Death?, 2003
^ Mauro, James (1992) Bright lights, big mystery. Psychology Today, July 1992.
^ Greyson, Bruce (2003), "Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population", Psychiatric Services, Dec., Vol. 54 No. 12. The American Psychiatric Association.
^ van Lommel, Pim (Hospital Rijnstate), "Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands" in The Lancet, 2001.
^ van Lommel, Pim (Hospital Rijnstate),"A Reply to Shermer: Medical Evidence for NDEs" in Skeptical Investigations, 2003.
^ Parnia, Waller, Yeates & Fenwick, 2001.
^ Mauro, James (1992). "Bright lights, big mystery", Psychology Today, July 1992.
^ Morse, Conner & Tyler, 1985; Morse & Perry, 1992.
^ a b van Lommel P, van Wees R, Meyers V, Elfferich I. (2001) "Near-Death Experience in Survivors of Cardiac Arrest: A prospective Study in the Netherlands", Lancet, December 15; 358(9298):2039-45.
^ Lange, Greyson & Houran, 2004.
^ Ring, Kenneth: "Heading toward Omega. In search of the Meaning of Near-Death Experience", 1984.
^ a b Mauro, James. "Bright lights, big mystery", Psychology Today, July 1992.
^ IANDS, printable brochure.
^ Ring, K. "Life at death. A scientific investigation of the near-death experience." 1980, New York: Coward McCann and Geoghenan.
^ Greyson, 1983.
^ Lange, Greyson & Houran, 2004.
^ Gallup, G., and Proctor, W. (1982). Adventures in immortality: a look beyond the threshold of death. New York, McGraw Hill.
^ Knoblauch, H., Schmied, I. and Schnettler, B. (2001). "Different kinds of Near-Death Experience: a report on a survey of near-death experiences in Germany", Journal of Near-Death Studies, 20, 15-29.
^ Perera, M., Padmasekara, G. and Belanti, J. (2005), "Prevalence of Near Death Experiences in Australia", Journal of Near-Death Studies, 24(2), 109-116.
^ Parnia, Waller, Yeates & Fenwick, 2001; van Lommel, van Wees, Meyers & Elfferich, 2001.
^ Bruce Greyson, Kevin Nelson, Susan Blackmore, webpage: News-wdeath11-2006-04.
^ Rivas, 2003
^ Sabom, Michael. Light & Death: One Doctor's Fascinating Account of Near-Death Experiences. 1998. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House
^ van Lommel P, van Wees R, Meyers V, Elfferich I. (2001) Near-Death Experience in Survivors of Cardiac Arrest: A prospective Study in the Netherlands. Lancet, December 15;358(9298):2039-45.
^ Sabom, Michael. Light & Death: One Doctor's Fascinating Account of Near-Death Experiences. 1998. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House
^ Kelly, 2001
^ Rodrigues, 2004
^ [1]
^ Greyson, 2001
^ Ring, Cooper, 1999
^ Hallucinatory Near-Death Experiences (2003) (Revised 2006)
^ Commentary

[edit] Further reading
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association (Code V62.89, Religious or Spiritual Problem).
Blackmore, Susan (1993) Dying to live: Science and Near-Death Experiences. London: Harper Collins.
Blanke, Olaf; Ortigue, Stéphanie; Landis, Theodor; Seeck, Margitta (2002) Stimulating illusory own-body perceptions. The part of the brain that can induce out-of-body experiences has been located. Nature, Vol. 419, 19 September 2002
Britton WB & Bootzin RR. (2004) Near-death experiences and the temporal lobe. Psychol Sci. Apr;15(4):254-8. PubMed abstract PMID 15043643
Carey, Stephen S. (2004) A Beginner's Guide to Scientific Method. Third Edition. Toronto: Thomson Wadsworth
Cowan, J. D. (1982) Spontaneous symmetry breaking in large-scale nervous activity. International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, 22, 1059-1082.
Delog Dawa Drolma: Delog - Journey to realms beyond death, Publisher: Padma Publishing (March 1, 1995), ISBN 1881847055 (10), ISBN 978-1881847052 (13)
Father Rose, Seraphim (1980) The Soul after Death. Saint Herman Press, ISBN 0-938635-14-X
Greyson, B. (1983) The Near-Death Experience Scale: Construction, reliability, and validity. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 171, 369-375.
Greyson, Bruce (1983) The near-death experience scale. Construction, reliability, and validity. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Jun;171(6):369-75.
Greyson B. (1997) The near-death experience as a focus of clinical attention. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. May;185(5):327-34. PubMed abstract PMID 9171810
Greyson, B. (2000) Some neuropsychological correlates of the physio-kundalini syndrome. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 32, 123-134.
Greyson, Bruce (2003) Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population. Psychiatric Services, December, Vol. 54 No. 12. The American Psychiatric Association
Greyson, Bruce & Bush, Nancy E. (1992) Distressing near-death experiences. Psychiatry, Feb;55(1):95-110.
IANDS. IANDS: The International Association for Near-Death Studies. Printable Brochure. Available at www.iands.org
Jansen, Karl L. R. (1995) Using ketamine to induce the near-death experience: mechanism of action and therapeutic potential. Yearbook for Ethnomedicine and the Study of Consciousness (Jahrbuch furr Ethnomedizin und Bewubtseinsforschung) Issue 4 pp55-81.
Jansen, Karl L. R. (1997) The Ketamine Model of the Near Death Experience: A central role for the NMDA Receptor. Journal of Near-Death Studies Vol. 16, No.1
Kelly EW. (2001) Near-death experiences with reports of meeting deceased people. Death Stud. Apr-May;25(3):229-49
Lange R, Greyson B, Houran J. (2004) A Rasch scaling validation of a 'core' near-death experience. British Journal of Psychology, Volume: 95 Part: 2 Page: 161-177
Lukoff, David, Lu, Francis G. & Turner, Robert P. (1998) From Spiritual Emergency to Spiritual Problem - The Transpersonal Roots of the New DSM-IV Category. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 38(2), 21-50
Martens PR. (1994) Near-death-experiences in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors. Meaningful phenomena or just fantasy of death? Resuscitation. Mar;27(2):171-5. PubMed abstract PMID 8029538
Morse M, Castillo P, Venecia D, Milstein J, Tyler DC. (1986) Childhood near-death experiences. American Journal of Diseases of Children, Nov;140(11):1110-4.
Morse M., Conner D. and Tyler D. (1985) Near-Death Experiences in a pediatric population. A preliminary report, American Journal of Disease of Children, n. 139 PubMed abstract PMID 4003364
Morse, Melvin (1990) Closer to the Light: Learning From the Near-Death Experiences of Children. New York: Villard books
Morse, Melvin & Perry, Paul (1992) Transformed by the Light. New York: Villard books
Moody, R. (1975) Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon - Survival of Bodily Death. New York: Bantam
Moody, R. (1977) Reflections on Life After Life: More Important Discoveries In The Ongoing Investigation Of Survival Of Life After Bodily Death. New York: Bantam
Moody, R. (1999) The Last Laugh: A New Philosophy of Near-Death Experiences, Apparitions, and the Paranormal. Hampton Roads Publishing Company
Mullens, K. (1992) Returned From The Other Side. Publ. Kenneth G. Mullens
Mullens, K. (1995) Visions From The Other Side. Publ. Kenneth G. Mullens
Orne RM. (1995) The meaning of survival: the early aftermath of a near-death experience. Research in Nursing & Health. 1995 Jun;18(3):239-47. PubMed abstract PMID 7754094
Parnia S, Waller DG, Yeates R, Fenwick P (2001) A qualitative and quantitative study of the incidence, features and aetiology of near death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors. Resuscitation. Feb;48(2):149-56. PubMed abstract PMID 11426476
Peake, Anthony (2006) "Is There Life After Death?" (Chartwell Books in USA & Arcturus in UK)
Pinchbeck, Daniel (2002) Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism. Broadway Books, trade paperback, 322 pages
Pravda (2004) Reanimators try to grasp the afterlife mystery. Pravda article 21.12.2004. (Article translated by: Maria Gousseva)
Raaby et al. (2005) Beyond the Deathbed.
Rapini, Mary Jo with Harper, Mary (2006) "Is God Pink? Dying to Heal". Baltimore:Publish America. www.maryjorapini.com
Rivas T. (2003). The Survivalist Interpretation of Recent Studies into the Near-Death Experience. Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, 26, 1, 27-31.
Rodrigues, Linda Andrade (2004) Ex-atheist describes near-death experience. Standard Times, Page C4, January 31, 2004
Sabom, Michael (1998) Light & Death: One Doctor's Fascinating Account of Near-Death Experiences. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House
Simpson SM. (2001) Near death experience: a concept analysis as applied to nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing. Nov;36(4):520-6. PubMed abstract PMID 11703546
Rick Strassman, DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences, 320 pages, Park Street Press, 2001, ISBN 0-89281-927-8
Thomas, Shawn (2004) Agmatine and Near-Death Experiences. Article published at www.neurotransmitter.net
Kinseher Richard (2006) Geborgen in Liebe und Licht - Gemeinsame Ursache von Intuition, Déjà-vu-, Schutzengel- und Nahtod-Erlebnissen, ISBN 3-8334-51963, German Language, (A new theory: During a Near-Death-Experience, a person can observe the scan of the own episodic memory. These stored experiences are then judged by the topical intellect.)
Tulku Thondup: Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth: A Tibetan Buddhist Guidebook with a CD of Guided Meditations",Publisher: Shambhala; Pap/Com edition (December 12, 2006), ISBN 1590303857 (10), ISBN 978-1590303856 (13)

[edit] Personal experiences
Return from Tomorrow by George G. Ritchie, M.D. with Elizabeth Sherrill (1978). George G. Ritchie, M.D. held positions as president of the Richmond Academy of General Practice; chairman of the Department of Psychiatry of Towers Hospital; and founder and president of the Universal Youth Corps, Inc. He lived in Virginia. At the age of twenty, George Ritchie died in an army hospital. Nine minutes later he returned to life. What happened to him during those minutes was so compelling, it changed his life forever. In Return from Tomorrow, he tells of his out-of-the-body encounter with other beings, his travel through different dimensions of time and space, and ultimately, his transforming meeting with the Light of the world, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Ritchie's extraordinary experience not only altered his view of eternity, it directed and governed his entire life, and provided a startling and hopeful description of the realm beyond. Ritchie's story was the first contact Dr. Raymond Moody, PhD (who was studying at the University of Virginia, as an undergraduate in Philosophy, at the time) had with NDEs. It inspired Moody to investigate over 150 cases of near-death experiences, in his book Life After Life, and two other books that followed.
"Is God Pink? Dying to Heal: by Mary Jo Rapini, with Mary Harper (2006). While awaiting surgery for a near-fatal brain aneurysm, Rapini experienced an encounter with a loving God. A psychotherapist, Rapini had counseled dying cancer patients and was skeptical of their visions. After her near-death experience, Rapini realized the power of spiritual healing for herself and her patients. www.maryjorapini.com
Embraced by the Light by Betty Eadie (1992). One of the most detailed near-death experiences on record.
Saved by the Light by Dannion Brinkley. Brinkley's experience documents one of the most complete near death experiences, in terms of core experience and additional phenomena from the NDE scale. Brinkley was clinically dead for 28 minutes and taken to a hospital morgue.
Placebo by Howard Pittman (1980). A detailed record of Mr. Pittman's near-death experience.
The Darkness of God by John Wren-Lewis (1985), Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Psychical Research No 5. An account of the far-reaching effects of his NDE after going through the death process several times in one night.
Bahá'í Reinee Pasarow has presented her experiences and an extended talk which was filmed Part 1,Part2, with a partial transcript, and analyzed from a religious point of view in a Commentary and analyzed as part of the paper The Exploration of Life After Death. Pasarow was interviewed by Dr. Kenneth Ring.[38]
Anita Moorjani, an ethnic Indian woman from Hong Kong experienced a truly remarkable NDE which has been documented on the Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) website as one of the most exceptional accounts on their archives. She had end-stage cancer and on February 2, 2006, doctors told her family that she only had a few hours to live. Following her NDE, Anita experienced a remarkable total recovery of her health. Her full story can be read at www.nderf.org titled "Anita M's NDE".
Goldie Hawn, while giving a speech at the Buell Theater in Denver, Colorado, reflected upon her near-death experience. When she was younger, and starting out as an actress, she and a group of friends were in a severe car crash together. While she was unconscious, she remembers looking over herself while the paramedics were trying to revive her. She also mentioned seeing a bright light and being told it was not her time soon before she awoke.

[edit] Fiction
In Passage, a 2001 novel by Connie Willis, the principal storyline centers around a researcher who has developed a technique for inducing an experience very much like a natural NDE. By studying the effects and comparing them with real NDEs, she hopes to find a biological basis for NDEs.
In the end of Scorpia, 5th installment in the Alex Rider series, Alex Rider, the protagonist, is shot near the heart by a sniper, collapses and sees his deceased parents appear before him in bright light, before losing consciousness.
The novel Fearless (1993) by Rafael Yglesias is about an architect that survives a planecrash. His near-death experience starts a period of fearlessness and existential concerns which puts him in conflict with both his family and the surrounding culture. The book was later adapted to the screen by director Peter Weir, starring Jeff Bridges as the main character, Max Klein. See Fearless (film).
The French novel Les Thanatonautes by Bernard Werber is about a group of scientists trying to study life after death by using drugs to throw them into cardiac arrest. It is the beginning of a successful trilogy including L'Empire des Anges and Nous, Les Dieux.
Another French novel, "Le Serment des Limbes" by Jean Christophe Grangé, deals with negative NDE and its impact on devil worshipping.
The movie Flatliners (1990) is about a group of medical students who want to study the near-death experience. They volunteer to clinically die and be revived by their fellow students. However, their experiment begins to go awry.
In Final Destination 2, Kimberly Corman has a life review before dying. Later she is saved by Ellen Kallarjian.
In the movie Stay (2005) the character of Henry (Ryan Gosling) has a NDE that lasts throughout the entire film. As he lies dying after a car crash that killed the rest of his family his mind wanders between life and death. Henry's final minutes of his life extended into a dream that lasts several days in his mind. He sees the illusion through the eyes of the man who is trying to keep him alive (Ewan McGregor).
In the game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Naked Snake undergoes a NDE after falling into the river, almost drowning in the process.
In the movie White Noise: The Light (2007), the sequel of White Noise (2005), the main character Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion) has a NDE after his suicide attempt. His spirit separates from his body. His consciousness then floats through a grey tunnel at the end of which there is a bright light to be found. It shines upon his murdered wife and child who are already expecting him. His astral body is pulled back into his physical body after a successful resuscitation.
In the Christian film Escape from Hell, a man attempts to prove Heaven's existence by purposefully placing himself in cardiac arrest. However, he finds himself in a completely different place: Hell.
At the end of the computer animated film Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, the saber-toothed squirrel character Scrat, in perpetual sisyphean pursuit of an acorn, dies and goes on to a shimmering ethereal place abundant with acorns surrounding one very large one, as if in final reward for his patience, but just as he is about to sink his teeth into it, he is pulled out of the place back to earth where he has been revived by the character Sid, who is baffled at his anger instead of gratitude at finding himself back alive.
On the medical show Grey's Anatomy, the main protagonist, Meredith, drowned during a mass casualty incident and had a near-death experience with former deceased patients.

[edit] External links
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[edit] As an afterlife experience
Negative Near Death Testimonies Hell
International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS)
Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF)
University of Wales, Lampeter Press release: A Near Death Experience
SpiritualTravel Explaining Neath-death Experiences Objections on current scientific arguments
Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife Near-Death.com
High Gravity Causes of NDE Near-Death.com
Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands Lommel, Hospital Rijnstate
A Reply to Shermer: Medical Evidence for NDEs Lommel, Division of Cardiology - Hospital Rijnstate
Does Mind Survive Physical Death? Fontana, Cardiff University and Liverpool John Moores University
Who's Afraid of Life After Death? Why NDE Evidence is Ignored Grossman, Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)
How Stuff Works - Near Death Experience
BBC Documentary about Near Death Experience
News for the Soul, Archived Webradio Interview with P.M.H. Atwater and Dannion Brinkley on NDE research (mp3 realplayer set at 20, 32, 42 min.)
With Good Reason by VFH Radio with Bruce Greyson, November 2006
The Near Death Chronicles Part 1 The Near Death Experiences of Howard Storm, Ned Dougherty, and Dr. George Rodonaia (video documentary)
The Near Death Chronicles Part 2
The Near Death Chronicles Part 3
The Near Death Chronicles Part 4
The Near Death Chronicles Part 5
The Near Death Chronicles Part 6
Thoughtful Living, a study of near death experiences

[edit] Neutral
Scientists find proof of near-death experiences - UK newspaper article
Near Death Experience Man - humorous webcomic about a super hero
Using Ketamine to Induce the Near-Death Experience:Mechanism of Action and Therapeutic Potential - Dr. Karl L. R. Jansen MD, PhD, MRCPsych
University of Virginia Health System - Division of Personality Studies

[edit] As a physiological and psychological experience
A Special Report: What Is Betty Eadie Hiding? Christian Research Institute Journal
Skepdic Article
Near-Death Experiences: In or out of the body? - Susan Blackmore, Published in Skeptical Inquirer 1991, 16, 34-45
The Ketamine Model of the Near Death Experience:A Central Role for the NMDA Receptor - Dr. Karl L. R. Jansen MD, PhD, MRCPsych
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[show]v • d • eDeath and related topics
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-death_experience"
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Near-Death Experience - NDE

A near-death experience (NDE) is the perception reported by a person who nearly died or who was clinically dead and revived. They are somewhat common, especially since the development of cardiac resuscitation techniques, and are reported in approximately one-fifth of persons who revive from clinical death. The experience often includes an out-of-body experience. Some people refer to this phenomenon as an 'After Death Experience'.
The phenomenology of an NDE usually includes physiological, psychological and transcendental factors (Parnia, Waller, Yeates & Fenwick, 2001) such as subjective impressions of being outside the physical body (an out-of-body experience), visions of deceased relatives and religious figures, transcendence of ego and spatiotemporal boundaries and other transcendental experiences.
Typically the experience follows a distinct progression, starting with the sensation of floating above one's body and seeing the surrounding area, followed by the sensation of passing through a tunnel, meeting deceased relatives, and concluding with encountering a being of light (Morse, Conner & Tyler, 1985).
A 'core' near-death experience reflects - as intensity increases according to the Rasch scale - peace, joy and harmony, followed by insight and mystical or religious experiences. The most intense NDEs involve an awareness of things occurring in a different place or time (Lange, Greyson & Houran, 2004).
Dr. Raymond Moody is recognized as the father of NDE research. He has chronicled and studied many of these experiences in several books (Moody, 1975;1977;1999). Another early pioneer is Dr. Kenneth Ring, co-founder and past President of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS).
Major contributions to the field include the construction of a Weighted Core Experience Index (Ring, 1980) in order to measure the depth of the Near-Death experience, and the construction of the Near-Death Experience Scale (Greyson, 1983) in order to differentiate between subjects that are more or less likely to have experienced a genuine NDE. These approaches include criteria for deciding what is to be considered a classical or authentic NDE.
Well-known researchers in the field who support a moderate view, or sympathize with aspects of the after-life view are Kevin Williams, Bruce Greyson, Michael Sabom, Melvin Morse, PMH Atwater, Yvonne Kason, Sam Parnia, Peter Fenwick, Jody A. Long and Jeffrey P. Long.
Much of this research is co-ordinated through the field of Near-Death Studies.Among the researchers who support a naturalistic and neurological base for the experience we find the British psychologist Susan Blackmore (1993), and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, Michael Shermer (1998).
The possibility of altered temporal lobe functioning in the near-death experience is suggested by Britton & Bootzin (2004). In this study Near-Death experiencers were also found to have altered sleep patterns compared to subjects in the control group. Dr. Rick Strassman has attempted to induce NDE in a clinical setting by injecting subjects with DMT. This research is described in his book DMT - The Spirit Molecule (2001).
According to Martens (1994), the only satisfying method to address the NDE-issue would be an international multicentric data collection within the framework for standardized reporting of cardiac arrest events. The use of cardiac arrest-criteria as a basis for NDE-research has been a common approach among the European branch of the research field (Parnia, Waller, Yeates & Fenwick, 2001; van Lommel, van Wees, Meyers & Elfferich, 2001).
Many commentators see near death experiences as an afterlife experience, and some accounts include elements that, according to some theorists, are most simply explained by an out-of-body consciousness. For example, in one account, a woman accurately described a surgical instrument she had not seen previously, as well as a conversation that occurred while she was understood to be clinically dead (Sabom, 1998).
In another account, from a proactive Dutch NDE study, a nurse removed the dentures of an unconscious heart attack victim, and was asked by him after his recovery to return them (van Lommel et.al, 2001).
However, researchers have been unsuccessful in running proactive experiments to establish out-of-body consciousness. There have been numerous experiments in which a random message was placed in a hospital in a manner that it would be invisible to patients or staff yet visible to a floating being, but so far, according to Blackmore (1991), these experiments have only provided equivocal results and no clear signs of ESP.
Other commentators see near death experiences as a purely naturalistic phenomenon. For example; a Swiss study (Blanke. et.al, 2002), published in Nature Magazine, found that electrical stimulation on the brain region known as the right angular gyrus repeatedly caused out-of-body experiences to the patient.
According to this perspective the etiology of the NDE is understood as a result of neurobiological mechanisms, related to such factors as epilepsy and brain stimulation. The similarities amongst the experiences of the many documented cases of NDE may be understood to signify that the pathology of the brain during the dying and reviving process is more or less the same in all humans, as suggested by Russian specialist Dr. Vladimir Negovsky (Unkn. publ. year) in Clinical Death As Seen by Reanimator.
However, this model fails to explain NDEs that result from close brushes to death where the brain does not actually suffer trauma, such as a near-miss automobile accident.A well-known scientific hypothesis that attempts to explain NDEs was originally suggested by Dr. Karl Jansen (1995;1997) and deals with accounts of the side-effects of the drug Ketamine. Ketamine was used as an anesthetic on U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; but its use was abandoned and never spread to civilian use because the soldiers complained about sensations of floating above their body and seeing bright lights.
Further experiments by numerous researchers verified that intravenous injections of ketamine could reproduce all of the commonly cited features of an NDE; including a sense that the experience is "real" and that one is actually dead, separation from the body, visions of loved ones, and transcendent mystical experiences.
Ketamine acts in part by blocking the NMDA receptor for the neurotransmitter glutamate. Glutamate is released in abundance when brain cells die, and if it weren't blocked, the glutamate overload would cause other brain cells to die as well. In the presence of excess glutamate, the brain releases its own NMDA receptor blocker to defend itself; and it is these blockers Dr. Jansen (amongst others) hypothesize as the cause of many NDEs. Shawn Thomas, director of Neurotransmitter.net, has suggested that agmatine is the key substance involved in near-death experiences.
Dr. Jansen's own shifting perspective on the conclusions to be drawn from the ketamine-NDE analogy has been notable. He started out as an unequivocal debunker of the notion that NDE's are evidence of a spiritual (or at least transnormal) realm. But with time he has developed a more agnostic hypothesis: that ketamine may in fact be one particularly powerful trigger of authentic spiritual experiences - of which near-death may be another.
In each case, according to Jansen's more recent pronouncements, all we can say is that the subject gets catapulted out of ordinary 'egoic' consciousness into an altered state - we cannot comfortably rule out the possibility that the 'worlds' disclosed in these 'trips' have ontological status. Latterly, therefore, Jansens position appears closer to thinkers like Daniel Pinchbeck (2002), who has written a book on hallucinogenic shamanism, and other names like Carl Jung, Ken Wilber and Stanislav Grof, than to thinkers like Susan Blackmore or Nicholas Humphrey (two particularly high-profile materialist skeptics).
Ultimately, the hallucination theory is one which is very convincing to materialists, and very unconvincing to the vast majority of NDE experiencers
Spiritual and psychological after-effects
NDE subjects often report long-term after-effects, and changes in worldview, such as an increased interest in spirituality, an increased interest in the meaning of life, increased empathic understanding and a decrease in fear of death (van Lommel et.al, 2001).
Some subjects also report internal feelings of bodily energy and/or altered states of consciousness similar to those associated with the yogic concept of kundalini (Greyson, 2000). Greyson (1983) developed The Near-Death Experience Scale in order to measure the after-effects of a near-death experience.
This research note that the aftermath of the experience is associated with both positive and healthy outcomes related to personality and appreciation for life, but also a spectrum of clinical problems in situations where the person has had difficulties with the experience (Orne, 1995). These difficulties are usually connected to the interpretation of the experience and the integration of it into everyday life. The near-death experience as a focus of clinical attention, and the inclusion of a new diagnostic category in the DSM-IV called "Religious or spiritual problem" (American Psychiatric Association, 1994 - Code V62.89), is discussed more closely by Greyson (1997) and Lukoff, Lu & Turner (1998).
Simpson (2001) notes that the number of people that have experienced an NDE might be higher than the number of cases that are actually reported. It is not unusual for near-death experiencers to feel profound insecurity related to how they are going to explain something that the surrounding culture perceives as a strange, paranormal incident.
Metaphysics
In a near-death experience the spirit - soul spark - leaves the physical body usually after a major trauma - accidents, illnesses, problems in surgery - cardiac arrest - anaphylactic shock, coma, fever, anesthetic, unconsciousness, physical injury, arrhythmia, seizures, suicide, or severe allergic reactions. It is a moment of release by the soul from the physical.
Most people report that they are outside of their physical bodies - traveling through a tunnel toward a source of white light - the creational source of our reality.
They usually report meeting a deceased relative or heavenly being, coming to a precipice or place where a decision about life or death must take place, seeing one's life pass before their eyes, sometimes in order called a 'life review', acute awareness, a feeling of timelessness, and intense emotions.
Most near-death experiences are positive but occasionally negative experiences do occur. Upon awakening the near-death experiencer may return with unusual abilities previously unknown to them. Some of these include: seeing auras and other related paranormal abilities, awareness of science and other technologies regarding time and space, change in personality and spiritual transformations.
In what seems like a long period of time to the soul, though perhaps only several seconds or minutes in our linear time, the soul may get to review what will happen to it should it return. There are always the physical ailments that may or may not heal. Then there are those that would be left behind to consider. As linear time does not exist in other than our physical dimensional reality, the soul will often ponder it's choices.
Sometimes a soul will come back even if it does not want to as it has issues to work out. Usually that soul will consider this a second chance and become more spiritual in the remaining time it has here on earth. Many of these souls have gone on to write about near-death experiences to help others understand what is going on, on the other side.
Many believe that have returned because they have been chosen to do something spiritual for the planet. Most people who return do have a more spiritual slant on life. After all they have faced the other side and should return on a higher frequency and with more knowledge. Some go on to become healers or helpers.
Some people remember their near-death experiences while others have some vague memories.
This is similar to dreamtime wherein some people wake up and remember events on the other side - while others have no memory of anything.
I had a near-death experience at age 5 when I had pneumonia and nearly died. I was in the hospital and saw myself out of my body watching. Next thing I knew I was sitting on the branch of a tree with a little boy my age - talking about meeting again in this lifetime - much later on - to do something related to the tree. (This could symbolize the Tree of life - based on they way my life path has unfolded.) I don't think I've met him yet - but I feel him connected on another level where we still meet on the other side. I also know this links with Alexander in my book Sarah and Alexander.
In January 2000, I had a dream that was like a near-death experience in that I remember being in a source of light. Then hearing water whooshing and remember moving backwards through the tunnel as I looked at 2 entities that I recognized as other aspects of my soul. Quickly, I returned to my physical body and woke up.
The media has given much publicity to near-death experiences as the are reported more openly and freely. They are another way for souls to remember their connection to a Source of Consciousness or Light of Consciousness Creation.
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ARTICLES

Show me heaven BBC - January 2004
As more and more people come forward with accounts of near-death experiences, new research is about to examine the out of body experience to see whether mind and body really do separate at the point of death.
Scientists Validate Near-Death Experiences ABC News - January 2002
A new study validates near-death experiences reported by heart attack patients.
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Evidence of 'life after death'
October 23, 2000 - BBC
Scientists investigating 'near-death' experiences say they have found evidence to suggest that consciousness can continue to exist after the brain has ceased to function.
However, the claim has been challenged by neurological experts.
The researchers interviewed 63 patients who had survived heart attacks within a week of the experience.
Of these 56 had no recollection of the period of unconsciousness they experienced whilst, effectively, clinically dead.
However, seven had memories, four of which counted as near-death experiences.
They told of feelings of peace and joy, time speeded up, heightened senses, lost awareness of body, seeing a bright light, entering another world, encountering a mystical being and coming to "a point of no return".
None of the patients were found to be receiving low oxygen levels - which some scientists believe may be responsible for so-called "near-death" experiences.
Lead researcher Dr Sam Parnia, of Southampton General Hospital, said nobody fully understands how brain cells generate thoughts.
He said it might be that the mind or consciousness is independent of the brain.
He said: "When we examine brain cells we see that brain cells are like any other cells, they can produce proteins and chemicals, but they are not really capable of producing the subjective phenomenon of thought that we have.
"The brain is definitely needed to manifest the mind, a bit like how a television set can take what essentially are waves in the air and translate them into picture and sound."
Dr Chris Freeman, consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Royal Edinburgh Hospital, said there was no proof that the experiences reported by the patients actually occurred when the brain was shut down.
"We know that memories are extremely fallible. We are quite good at knowing that something happened, but we are very poor at knowing when it happened.
"It is quite possible that these experiences happened during the recovery, or just before the cardiac arrest. To say that they happened when the brain was shut down, I think there is little evidence for that at all."
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Life after near death

More people are now brought back from the brink
February 4, 2000 - BBC News
From the corner of the room, Christine Ellingham says she could see emergency medical staff crowding around an unconscious body.
They were desperately trying to revive the woman, and to save her unborn baby.
"I knew that it was me lying on the table. But I was outside of my body, floating in the corner of the room. I was very calm and it made perfect sense to me that I should be watching what I understood to be the final moments of my life.

"I felt absolute peace and serenity. There was light around me and it grew and grew until I couldn't see my body any more.
"Then I felt an amazing sensation of rushing forwards through the light, or rather that the light was rushing back over me. I couldn't see him, but I knew that my father, who had died four years previously, was there with me, and I felt totally, totally safe."
"I felt that my father was almost carrying me, like I was a child again, and then the light slowed and stopped and my father told me that my baby needed me. I felt very sad that I had to leave, but I wanted to be with my baby.
"There was another instant where I was still surrounded by light, and then, bang! I slammed backwards."
She said that the next thing she experienced was "excruciating pain" - and her eyes opened and she saw the nurses she said she had seen from behind just moments ago.
"I cried and cried. I was in so much pain, but I felt an elation and a certainty that both me and my baby were going to live."
Christine underwent an emergency Caesarian operation, and her son Liam, her first child, was born six weeks early. She said that she had been planning to go back to work as soon as possible, but instead decided to look after Liam full-time.
he said: "I was spared, and I was spared to look after Liam. I have never been a religious person, but the experience has made me feel secure that there is an afterlife, and the people that I love and have passed away are still there, watching over me and my family."
Professor Paul Badham of Lampeter University - who studies the philosophical implications of near death experiences - said that despite media hype, the phenomenon is quite rare.
However, he says the reports of people who have had near death experiences tend to contain similar elements.
"It is very common for people to report going out of their body and looking down on their body," he said
"Going through a tunnel is also a common experience, as is being surrounded by light. The meeting of deceased relatives or friends is also commonly reported.
"People will also say that they feel they are in the presence of a spiritual reality. A Christian may interpret this as Jesus. One atheist who had an out of body experience said that he later realized that this presence was responsible for the governance of the universe."
Prof Badham said that the numbers of people experiencing the phenomena are rising, as medicine improves and pulls more people back from the brink.
He says that people who report near death experience sometimes "see" things that it would have been impossible for them to see if they had been unconscious on an operating table.
He said: "Not everyone who is near death has this experience - it just does not follow that it is a last physical response to death.
"This is an experience which transcends cultures, religions and classes - I believe this experience is probably the base for our belief in an afterlife."

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Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands

Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands
Pim van Lommel, Ruud van Wees, Vincent Meyers, Ingrid Elfferich
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Division of Cardiology, Hospital Rijnstate, Arnhem, Netherlands (P van Lommel MD); Tilburg, Netherlands (R van Wees PhD); Nijmegen, Netherlands (V Meyers PhD); and Capelle a/d Ijssel, Netherlands (I Elfferich PhD)
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Correspondence to: Dr Pim van Lommel, Division of Cardiology, Hospital Rijnstate, PO Box 9555, 6800 TA Arnhem, Netherlands (e-mail:pimvanlommel@wanadoo.nl)

Summary
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References

Summary
Background Some people report a near-death experience (NDE) after a life-threatening crisis. We aimed to establish the cause of this experience and assess factors that affected its frequency, depth, and content.
Methods In a prospective study, we included 344 consecutive cardiac patients who were successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest in ten Dutch hospitals. We compared demographic, medical, pharmacological, and psychological data between patients who reported NDE and patients who did not (controls) after resuscitation. In a longitudinal study of life changes after NDE, we compared the groups 2 and 8 years later.
Findings 62 patients (18%) reported NDE, of whom 41 (12%) described a core experience. Occurrence of the experience was not associated with duration of cardiac arrest or unconsciousness, medication, or fear of death before cardiac arrest. Frequency of NDE was affected by how we defined NDE, the prospective nature of the research in older cardiac patients, age, surviving cardiac arrest in first myocardial infarction, more than one cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during stay in hospital, previous NDE, and memory problems after prolonged CPR. Depth of the experience was affected by sex, surviving CPR outside hospital, and fear before cardiac arrest. Significantly more patients who had an NDE, especially a deep experience, died within 30 days of CPR (p<0•0001). The process of transformation after NDE took several years, and differed from those of patients who survived cardiac arrest without NDE.
Interpretation We do not know why so few cardiac patients report NDE after CPR, although age plays a part. With a purely physiological explanation such as cerebral anoxia for the experience, most patients who have been clinically dead should report one.
Lancet 2001; 358: 2039-45

See Commentary

Introduction
Some people who have survived a life-threatening crisis report an extraordinary experience. Near-death experience (NDE) occurs with increasing frequency because of improved survival rates resulting from modern techniques of resuscitation. The content of NDE and the effects on patients seem similar worldwide, across all cultures and times. The subjective nature and absence of a frame of reference for this experience lead to individual, cultural, and religious factors determining the vocabulary used to describe and interpret the experience.1
NDE are reported in many circumstances: cardiac arrest in myocardial infarction (clinical death), shock in postpartum loss of blood or in perioperative complications, septic or anaphylactic shock, electrocution, coma resulting from traumatic brain damage, intracerebral haemorrhage or cerebral infarction, attempted suicide, near-drowning or asphyxia, and apnoea. Such experiences are also reported by patients with serious but not immediately life-threatening diseases, in those with serious depression, or without clear cause in fully conscious people. Similar experiences to near-death ones can occur during the terminal phase of illness, and are called deathbed visions. Identical experiences to NDE, so-called fear-death experiences, are mainly reported after situations in which death seemed unavoidable: serious traffic accidents, mountaineering accidents, or isolation such as with shipwreck.
Several theories on the origin of NDE have been proposed. Some think the experience is caused by physiological changes in the brain, such as brain cells dying as a result of cerebral anoxia.2-4 Other theories encompass a psychological reaction to approaching death,5 or a combination of such reaction and anoxia.6 Such experiences could also be linked to a changing state of consciousness (transcendence), in which perception, cognitive functioning, emotion, and sense of identity function independently from normal body-linked waking consciousness.7 People who have had an NDE are psychologically healthy, although some show non-pathological signs of dissociation.7 Such people do not differ from controls with respect to age, sex, ethnic origin, religion, or degree of religious belief.1
Studies on NDE1,3,8,9 have been retrospective and very selective with respect to patients. In retrospective studies, 5-10 years can elapse between occurrence of the experience and its investigation, which often prevents accurate assessment of physiological and pharmacological factors. In retrospective studies, between 43%8 and 48%1 of adults and up to 85% of children10 who had a life-threatening illness were estimated to have had an NDE. A random investigation of more than 2000 Germans showed 4•3% to have had an NDE at a mean age of 22 years.11 Differences in estimates of frequency and uncertainty as to causes of this experience result from varying definitions of the phenomenon, and from inadequate methods of research.12 Patients' transformational processes after an NDE are very similar1,3,13-16 and encompass life-changing insight, heightened intuition, and disappearance of fear of death. Assimilation and acceptance of these changes is thought to take at least several years.15
We did a prospective study to calculate the frequency of NDE in patients after cardiac arrest (an objective critical medical situation), and establish factors that affected the frequency, content, and depth of the experience. We also did a longitudinal study to assess the effect of time, memory, and suppression mechanisms on the process of transformation after NDE, and to reaffirm the content and allow further study of the experience. We also proposed to reassess theories on the cause and content of NDE.

Methods
Patients
We included consecutive patients who were successfully resuscitated in coronary care units in ten Dutch hospitals during a research period varying between hospitals from 4 months to nearly 4 years (1988-92). The research period varied because of the requirement that all consecutive patients who had undergone successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were included. If this standard was not met we ended research in that hospital. All patients had been clinically dead, which we established mainly by electrocardiogram records. All patients gave written informed consent. We obtained ethics committee approval.
Procedures
We defined NDE as the reported memory of all impressions during a special state of consciousness, including specific elements such as out-of-body experience, pleasant feelings, and seeing a tunnel, a light, deceased relatives, or a life review. We defined clinical death as a period of unconsciousness caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain because of inadequate blood circulation, breathing, or both. If, in this situation, CPR is not started within 5-10 min, irreparable damage is done to the brain and the patient will die.
We did a short standardised interview with sufficiently well patients within a few days of resuscitation. We asked whether patients recollected the period of unconsciousness, and what they recalled. Three researchers coded the experiences according to the weighted core experience index.1 In this scoring system, depth of NDE is measured with weighted scores assigned to elements of the content of the experience. Scores between 1 and 5 denote superficial NDE, but we included these events because all patients underwent transformational changes as well. Scores of 6 or more denote core experiences, and scores of 10 or greater are deep experiences. We also recorded date of cardiac arrest, date of interview, sex, age, religion, standard of education reached, whether the patient had previously experienced NDE, previously heard of NDE, whether CPR took place inside or outside hospital, previous myocardial infarction, and how many times the patient had been resuscitated during their stay in hospital. We estimated duration of circulatory arrest and unconsciousness, and noted whether artificial respiration by intubation took place. We also recorded type and dose of drugs before, during, and after the crisis, and assessed possible memory problems at interview after lengthy or difficult resuscitation. We classed patients resuscitated during electrophysiological stimulation separately.
We did standardised and taped interviews with participants a mean of 2 years after CPR. Patients also completed a life-change inventory.16 The questionnaire addressed self-image, concern with others, materialism and social issues, religious beliefs and spirituality, and attitude towards death. Participants answered 34 questions with a five-point scale indicating whether and to what degree they had changed. After 8 years, surviving patients and their partners were interviewed again with the life-change inventory, and also completed a medical and psychological questionnaire for cardiac patients (from the Dutch Heart Foundation), the Utrecht coping list, the sense of coherence inquiry, and a scale for depression. These extra questionnaires were deemed necessary for qualitative analysis because of the reduced number of respondents who survived to 8 years follow-up. Our control group consisted of resuscitated patients who had not reported an NDE. We matched controls with patients who had had an NDE by age, sex, and time interval between CPR and the second and third interviews.
Statistical analysis
We assessed causal factors for NDE with the Pearson2 test for categorical and t test for ratio-scaled factors. Factors affecting depth of NDE were analysed with the Mann-Whitney test for categorical factors, and with Spearman's coefficient of rank correlation for ratio-scaled factors. Links between NDE and altered scores for questions from the life-change inventory were assessed with the Mann-Whitney test. The sums of the individual scores were used to compare the responses to the life-change inventory in the second and third interview. Because few causes or relations exist for NDE, the null hypotheses are the absence of factors. Hence, all tests were two-tailed with significance shown by p values less than 0•05.

Results
Patients
We included 344 patients who had undergone 509 successful resuscitations. Mean age at resuscitation was 62•2 years (SD 12•2), and ranged from 26 to 92 years. 251 patients were men (73%) and 93 were women (27%). Women were significantly older than men (66 vs 61 years, p=0•005).The ratio of men to women was 57/43 for those older than 70 years, whereas at younger ages it was 80/20. 14 (4%) patients had had a previous NDE. We interviewed 248 (74%) patients within 5 days after CPR. Some demographic questions from the first interview had too many values missing for reliable statistical analysis, so data from the second interview were used. Of the 74 patients whom we interviewed at 2-year follow-up, 42 (57%) had previously heard of NDE, 53 (72%) were religious, 25 (34%) had left education aged 12 years, and 49 (66%) had been educated until aged at least 16 years.
296 (86%) of all 344 patients had had a first myocardial infarction and 48 (14%) had undergone more than one infarction. Nearly all patients with acute myocardial infarction were treated with fentanyl, a synthetic opiod antagonist; thalamonal, a combined preparation of fentanyl with dehydrobenzperidol that has an antipsychotic and sedative effect; or both. 45 (13%) patients also received sedative drugs such as diazepam or oxazepam, and 38 (11%) were given strong sedatives such as midazolam (for intubation), or haloperidol for cerebral unrest during or after long-lasting unconsciousness.
234 (68%) patients were successfully resuscitated within hospital. 190 (81%) of these patients were resuscitated within 2 min of circulatory arrest, and unconsciousness lasted less than 5 min in 187 (80%). 30 patients were resuscitated during electrophysiological stimulation; these patients all underwent less than 1 min of circulatory arrest and less than 2 min of unconsciousness. This group were only given 5 mg of diazepam about 1 h before electrophysiological stimulation.
101 (29%) patients survived CPR outside hospital, and nine (3%) were resuscitated both within and outside hospital. Of these 110 patients, 88 (80%) had more than 2 min of circulatory arrest, and 62 (56%) were unconscious for more than 10 min. All people with brief cardiac arrest and who were resuscitated outside hospital were resuscitated in an ambulance. Only 12 (9%) patients survived a circulatory arrest that lasted longer than 10 min. 36% (123) of all patients were unconsciousness for longer than 60 min, 37 of these patients needed artificial respiration through intubation. Intubated patients received high doses of strong sedatives and were interviewed later than other patients; most were still in a weakened physical condition at the time of first interview and 24 showed memory defects. Significantly more younger than older patients survived long-lasting unconsciousness following difficult CPR (p=0•005).
Prospective findings
62 (18%) patients reported some recollection of the time of clinical death (table 1). Of these patients, 21 (6% of total) had a superficial NDE and 41 (12%) had a core experience. 23 of the core group (7% of total) reported a deep or very deep NDE. Therefore, of 509 resuscitations, 12% resulted in NDE and 8% in core experiences. Table 2 shows the frequencies of ten elements of NDE.1 No patients reported distressing or frightening NDE.
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WCEI score* n
A No memory 0 282 (82%)
B Some recollection 1-5 21 (6%)
C Moderately deep NDE 6-9 18 (5%)
D Deep NDE 10-14 17 (5%)
E Very deep NDE 15-19 6 (2%)
WCEI=weighted core experience index. NDE=near-death experience. *A=no NDE, B=superficial NDE, C/D/E=core NDE.
Table 1: Distribution of the 344 patients in five WCEI classes*
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Elements of NDE1 Frequency (n=62)
1 Awareness of being dead 31 (50%)
2 Positive emotions 35 (56%)
3 Out of body experience 15 (24%)
4 Moving through a tunnel 19 (31%)
5 Communication with light 14 (23%)
6 Observation of colours 14 (23%)
7 Observation of a celestial landscape 18 (29%)
8 Meeting with deceased persons 20 (32%)
9 Life review 8 (13%)
10 Presence of border 5 (8%)
NDE=near-death experience.
Table 2: Frequency of ten elements of NDE
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During the pilot phase in one of the hospitals, a coronary-care-unit nurse reported a veridical out-of-body experience of a resuscitated patient:
"During a night shift an ambulance brings in a 44-year-old cyanotic, comatose man into the coronary care unit. He had been found about an hour before in a meadow by passers-by. After admission, he receives artificial respiration without intubation, while heart massage and defibrillation are also applied. When we want to intubate the patient, he turns out to have dentures in his mouth. I remove these upper dentures and put them onto the 'crash car'. Meanwhile, we continue extensive CPR. After about an hour and a half the patient has sufficient heart rhythm and blood pressure, but he is still ventilated and intubated, and he is still comatose. He is transferred to the intensive care unit to continue the necessary artificial respiration. Only after more than a week do I meet again with the patient, who is by now back on the cardiac ward. I distribute his medication. The moment he sees me he says: 'Oh, that nurse knows where my dentures are'. I am very surprised. Then he elucidates: 'Yes, you were there when I was brought into hospital and you took my dentures out of my mouth and put them onto that car, it had all these bottles on it and there was this sliding drawer underneath and there you put my teeth.' I was especially amazed because I remembered this happening while the man was in deep coma and in the process of CPR. When I asked further, it appeared the man had seen himself lying in bed, that he had perceived from above how nurses and doctors had been busy with CPR. He was also able to describe correctly and in detail the small room in which he had been resuscitated as well as the appearance of those present like myself. At the time that he observed the situation he had been very much afraid that we would stop CPR and that he would die. And it is true that we had been very negative about the patient's prognosis due to his very poor medical condition when admitted. The patient tells me that he desperately and unsuccessfully tried to make it clear to us that he was still alive and that we should continue CPR. He is deeply impressed by his experience and says he is no longer afraid of death. 4 weeks later he left hospital as a healthy man."
Table 3 shows relations between demographic, medical, pharmacological, and psychological factors and the frequency and depth of NDE. No medical, pharmacological, or psychological factor affected the frequency of the experience. People younger than 60 years had NDE more often than older people (p=0•012), and women, who were significantly older than men, had more frequent deep experiences than men (p=0•011) (table 3). Increased frequency of experiences in patients who survived cardiac arrest in first myocardial infarction, and deeper experiences in patients who survived CPR outside hospital could have resulted from differences in age. Both these groups of patients were younger than other patients, though the age differences were not significant (p=0•05 and 0•07, respectively).
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Frequency of NDE Depth
NDE No NDE p of NDE
(n=62) (n=282) (n=62)
Categorical factors
Demographic
Women 13 (21%) 80 (28%) NS 0•011
Age* <60 years 32 (52%) 96 (34%) 0•012 NS
Religion† (yes) 26 (70%) 27 (73% ) NS NS
Education†‡ Elementary 10 (27%) 15 (43%) NS NS
Medical
Intubation 6 (10%) 31 (11%) NS NS
Electrophysiological 8 (13%) 22 (8%) NS NS
stimulation
First myocardial 60 (97%) 236 (84%) 0•013 NS
infarction
CPR outside hospital§ 13 (21%) 88 (32%) NS 0•027
Memory defect after 1 (2%) 40 (14%) 0•011 NS
lengthy CPR
Death within 30 days 13 (21%) 24 (9%) 0•008 0•017
Pharmacological
Extra medication 17 (27%) 70 (25%) NS NS
Psychological
Fear before CPR†§ 4 (13%) 2 (6%) NS 0•045
Previous NDE 6 (10%) 8 (3%) 0•035 NS
Foreknowledge of NDE† 22 (60%) 20 (54%) NS NS
Ratio-scaled factors
Demographic
Age (mean [SD], years)* 58•8 (13•4) 63•5 (11•8) 0•006 NS
Medical
Duration of cardiac 4•0 (5•2) 3•7 (3•9) NS NS
arrest (mean [SD], min)
Duration of 66•1 (269•5) 118•3 (355•5) NS
NS
unconsciousness
(mean [SD], min)
Number of CPRs (SD) 2•1 (2•5) 1•4 (1•2) 0•029 NS
Data are number (%) unless otherwise indicated. CPR=cardiopulmonary resuscitation. NS=not significant (p>0•05). *3 missing values. †n=74 (data from 2nd interview, 35 NDE, 39 no NDE). ‡2 missing values. §10 missing values.
Table 3: Factors affecting frequency and depth of near-death experience (NDE)
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Lengthy CPR can sometimes induce loss of memory and patients thus affected reported significantly fewer NDEs than others (table 3). No relation was found between frequency of NDE and the time between CPR and the first interview (range 1-70 days). Mortality during or shortly after stay in hospital in patients who had an NDE was significantly higher than in patients who did not report an NDE (13/62 patients [21%] vs 24/282 [9%], p=0•008), and this difference was even more marked in patients who reported a deep experience (10/23 [43%] vs 24/282 [9%], p<0•0001).
Longitudinal findings
At 2-year follow-up, 19 of the 62 patients with NDE had died and six refused to be interviewed. Thus, we were able to interview 37 patients for the second time. All patients were able to retell their experience almost exactly. Of the 17 patients who had low scores in the first interview (superficial NDE), seven had unchanged low scores, and four probably had, in retrospect, an NDE that consisted only of positive emotions (score 1). Six patients had not in fact had an NDE after all, which was probably because of our wide definition of NDE at the first interview.
We selected a control group, matched for age, sex, and time since cardiac arrest, from the 282 patients who had not had NDE. We contacted 75 of these patients to obtain 37 survivors who agreed to be interviewed. Two controls reported an NDE consisting only of positive emotions, and two a core experience. The first interview after CPR might have been too soon for these four patients (1% of total) to remember their NDE, or to be willing or able to describe the experience. We were therefore able to interview 35 patients who had had an affirmed NDE, and 39 patients who had not.
Only six of the 74 patients that we interviewed at 2 years said they were afraid before CPR (table 3). Four of these six had deep NDE (p=0•045, table 3). Most patients were not afraid before CPR, as the arrest happened too suddenly and unexpectedly to allow time for fear.
Significant differences in answers to 13 of the 34 items in the life-change inventory between people with and without an NDE are shown in table 4. For instance, people who had NDE had a significant increase in belief in an afterlife and decrease in fear of death compared with people who had not had this experience. Depth of NDE was linked to high scores in spiritual items such as interest in the meaning of one's own life, and social items such as showing love and accepting others. The 13 patients who had superficial NDE underwent the same specific transformational changes as those who had a core experience.
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LIfe-change inventory questionnaire p
Social attitude
Showing own feelings 0•034
Acceptance of others* 0•012
More loving, empathic* 0•002
Understanding others* 0•003
Involvement in family* 0•008
Religious attitude
Understand purpose of life* 0•020
Sense inner meaning of life* 0•028
Interest in spirituality* 0•035
Attitude to death
Fear of death* 0•009
Belief in life after death* 0•007
Others
Interest in meaning of life 0•020
Understanding oneself 0•019
Appreciation of ordinary things 0•0001
NDE=near-death experience. 35 patients had NDE, 39 had not had NDE. 1 value missing for patients wih NDE in all categories; *2 values missing for patients with NDE (ie, n=33).
Table 4: Significant differences in life-change inventory-scores16 of patients with and without NDE at 2-year follow-up
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8-year follow-up included 23 patients with an NDE that had been affirmed at 2-year follow-up. 11 patients had died and one could not be interviewed. Patients could still recall their NDE almost exactly. Of the patients without an NDE at 2-year follow-up, 20 had died and four patients could not be interviewed (for reasons such as dementia and long stay in hospital), which left 15 patients without an NDE to take part in the third interview.
All patients, including those who did not have NDE, had gone through a positive change and were more self-assured, socially aware, and religious than before. Also, people who did not have NDE had become more emotionally affected, and in some, fear of death had decreased more than at 2-year follow-up. Their interest in spirituality had strongly decreased. Most patients who did not have NDE did not believe in a life after death at 2-year or 8-year follow-up (table 5). People with NDE had a much more complex coping process: they had become more emotionally vulnerable and empathic, and often there was evidence of increased intuitive feelings. Most of this group did not show any fear of death and strongly believed in an afterlife. Positive changes were more apparent at 8 years than at 2 years of follow-up.
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Life-change inventory 2-year follow-up 8-year follow-up
questionnaire NDE no NDE NDE no NDE
(n=23) (n=15) (n=23) (n=15)
Social attitude
Showing own feelings 42 16 78 58
Acceptance of others 42 16 78 41
More loving, empathic 52 25 68 50
Understanding others 36 8 73 75
Involvement in family 47 33 78 58
Religious attitude
Understand purpose of life 52 33 57 66
Sense inner meaning of life 52 25 57 25
Interest in spirituality 15 -8 42 -41
Attitude to death
Fear of death -47 -16 -63 -41
Belief in life after death 36 16 42 16
Others
Interest in meaning of life 52 33 89 66
Understanding oneself 58 8 63 58
Appreciation of ordinary things 78 41 84 50
NDE=near-death experience. The sums of all individual scores per item are reported in the same 38 patients who had both follow-up interviews. Participants responded in a five-point scale indicating whether and to what degree they had changed: strongly increased (+2), somewhat increased (+1), no change (0), somewhat decreased (-1), and strongly decreased (-2). Only in the reported 13 (of 34) items in this table were significant differences found in life-change scores in the interview after 2 years (table 4).
Table 5: Total sum of individual life-change inventory scores16 of patients at 2-year and 8-year follow-up
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Discussion
Our results show that medical factors cannot account for occurrence of NDE; although all patients had been clinically dead, most did not have NDE. Furthermore, seriousness of the crisis was not related to occurrence or depth of the experience. If purely physiological factors resulting from cerebral anoxia caused NDE, most of our patients should have had this experience. Patients' medication was also unrelated to frequency of NDE. Psychological factors are unlikely to be important as fear was not associated with NDE.
The 18% frequency of NDE that we noted is lower than reported in retrospective studies,1,8 which could be because our prospective study design prevented self-selection of patients. Our frequency of NDE is low despite our wide definition of the experience. Only 12% of patients had a core NDE, and this figure might be an overestimate. When we analysed our results, we noted that one hospital that participated in the study for nearly 4 years, and from which 137 patients were included, reported a significantly (p=0•01) lower percentage of NDE (8%), and significantly (p=0•05) fewer deep experiences. Therefore, possibly some selection of patients occurred in the other hospitals, which sometimes only took part for a few months. In a prospective study17 with the same design as ours, 6% of 63 survivors of cardiac arrest reported a core experience, and another 5% had memories with features of an NDE (low score in our study); thus, with our wide definition of the experience, 11% of these patients reported an NDE. Therefore, true frequency of the experience is likely to be about 10%, or 5% if based on number of resuscitations rather than number of resuscitated patients. Patients who survive several CPRs in hospital have a significantly higher chance of NDE (table 3).
We noted that the frequency of NDE was higher in people younger than 60 years than in older people. In other studies, mean age at NDE is lower than our estimate (62•2 years) and the frequency of the experience is higher. Morse10 saw 85% NDE in children, Ring1 noted 48% NDE in people with a mean age of 37 years, and Sabom8 saw 43% NDE in people with a mean age of 49 years; thus, age and the frequency of the experience seem to be associated. Other retrospective studies have noted a younger mean age for NDE: 32 years,9 29 years,6 and 22 years.11 Cardiac arrest was the cause of the experience in most patients in Sabom's8 study, whereas this was the case in only a low percentage of patients in other work. We saw that people surviving CPR outside hospital (who underwent deeper NDE than other patients) tended to be younger, as were those who survived cardiac arrest in a first myocardial infarction (more frequent NDE), which indicates that age was probably decisive in the significant relation noted with those factors.
In a study of mortality in patients after resuscitation outside hospital,18 chances of survival increased in people younger than 60 years and in those undergoing first myocardial infarction, which corresponds with our findings. Older people have a smaller chance of cerebral recovery after difficult and complicated resuscitation after cardiac arrest. Younger patients have a better chance of surviving a cardiac arrest, and thus, to describe their experience. In a study of 11 patients after CPR, the person that had an NDE was significantly younger than other patients who did not have such an experience.19 Greyson7 also noted a higher frequency of NDE and significantly deeper experiences at younger ages, as did Ring.1
Good short-term memory seems to be essential for remembering NDE. Patients with memory defects after prolonged resuscitation reported fewer experiences than other patients in our study. Forgetting or repressing such experiences in the first days after CPR was unlikely to have occurred in the remaining patients, because no relation was found between frequency of NDE and date of first interview. However, at 2-year follow-up, two patients remembered a core NDE and two an NDE that consisted of only positive emotions that they had not reported shortly after CPR, presumably because of memory defects at that time. It is remarkable that people could recall their NDE almost exactly after 2 and 8 years.
Unlike our results, an inverse correlation between foreknowledge and frequency of NDE has been shown.1,8 Our finding that women have deeper experiences than men has been confirmed in two other studies,1,7 although in one,7 only in those cases in which women had an NDE resulting from disease.
The elements of NDE that we noted (table 2) correspond with those in other studies based on Ring's1 classification. Greyson20 constructed the NDE scale differently to Ring,1 but both scoring systems are strongly correlated (r=0•90). Yet, reliable comparisons are nearly impossible between retrospective studies that included selection of patients, unreliable medical records, and used different criteria for NDE,12 and our prospective study.
Our longitudinal follow-up research into transformational processes after NDE confirms the transformation described by many others.1-3,8,10,13-16,21 Several of these investigations included a control group to enable study of differences in transformation,14 but in our research, patients were interviewed three times during 8 years, with a matched control group. Our findings show that this process of change after NDE tends to take several years to consolidate. Presumably, besides possible internal psychological processes, one reason for this has to do with society's negative response to NDE, which leads individuals to deny or suppress their experience for fear of rejection or ridicule. Thus, social conditioning causes NDE to be traumatic, although in itself it is not a psychotraumatic experience. As a result, the effects of the experience can be delayed for years, and only gradually and with difficulty is an NDE accepted and integrated. Furthermore, the longlasting transformational effects of an experience that lasts for only a few minutes of cardiac arrest is a surprising and unexpected finding.
One limitation of our study is that our study group were all Dutch cardiac patients, who were generally older than groups in other studies. Therefore, our frequency of NDE might not be representative of all cases--eg, a higher frequency could be expected with younger samples, or rates might vary in other populations. Also, the rates for NDE could differ in people who survive near-death episodes that come about by different causes, such as near drowning, near fatal car crashes with cerebral trauma, and electrocution. However, rigorous prospective studies would be almost impossible in many such cases.
Several theories have been proposed to explain NDE. We did not show that psychological, neurophysiological, or physiological factors caused these experiences after cardiac arrest. Sabom22 mentions a young American woman who had complications during brain surgery for a cerebral aneurysm. The EEG of her cortex and brainstem had become totally flat. After the operation, which was eventually successful, this patient proved to have had a very deep NDE, including an out-of-body experience, with subsequently verified observations during the period of the flat EEG.
And yet, neurophysiological processes must play some part in NDE. Similar experiences can be induced through electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe (and hence of the hippocampus) during neurosurgery for epilepsy,23 with high carbon dioxide levels (hypercarbia),24 and in decreased cerebral perfusion resulting in local cerebral hypoxia as in rapid acceleration during training of fighter pilots,25 or as in hyperventilation followed by valsalva manoeuvre.4 Ketamine-induced experiences resulting from blockage of the NMDA receptor,26 and the role of endorphin, serotonin, and enkephalin have also been mentioned,27 as have near-death-like experiences after the use of LSD,28 psilocarpine, and mescaline.21 These induced experiences can consist of unconsciousness, out-of-body experiences, and perception of light or flashes of recollection from the past. These recollections, however, consist of fragmented and random memories unlike the panoramic life-review that can occur in NDE. Further, transformational processes with changing life-insight and disappearance of fear of death are rarely reported after induced experiences.
Thus, induced experiences are not identical to NDE, and so, besides age, an unknown mechanism causes NDE by stimulation of neurophysiological and neurohumoral processes at a subcellular level in the brain in only a few cases during a critical situation such as clinical death. These processes might also determine whether the experience reaches consciousness and can be recollected.
With lack of evidence for any other theories for NDE, the thus far assumed, but never proven, concept that consciousness and memories are localised in the brain should be discussed. How could a clear consciousness outside one's body be experienced at the moment that the brain no longer functions during a period of clinical death with flat EEG?22 Also, in cardiac arrest the EEG usually becomes flat in most cases within about 10 s from onset of syncope.29,30 Furthermore, blind people have described veridical perception during out-of-body experiences at the time of this experience.31 NDE pushes at the limits of medical ideas about the range of human consciousness and the mind-brain relation.
Another theory holds that NDE might be a changing state of consciousness (transcendence), in which identity, cognition, and emotion function independently from the unconscious body, but retain the possibility of non-sensory perception.7,8,22,28,31
Research should be concentrated on the effort to explain scientifically the occurrence and content of NDE. Research should be focused on certain specific elements of NDE, such as out-of-body experiences and other verifiable aspects. Finally, the theory and background of transcendence should be included as a part of an explanatory framework for these experiences.
Contributors
Pim van Lommel coordinated the first interviews and was responsible for collecting all demographic, medical, and pharmacological data. Pim van Lommel, Ruud van Wees, and Vincent Meyers rated the first interview. Ruud van Wees and Vincent Meyers coordinated the second interviews. Ruud van Wees did statistical analysis of the first and second interviews. Ingrid Elfferich did the third interviews and analysed these results.
Acknowledgments
We thank nursing and medical staff of the hospitals involved in the research; volunteers of the International Association of Near Death Studies; IANDS-Netherlands; Merkawah Foundation for arranging interviews, and typing the second and third interviews; Martin Meyers for help with translation; and Kenneth Ring and Bruce Greyson for review of the article.

References
1 Ring K. Life at death. A scientific investigation of the near- death experience. New York: Coward McCann and Geoghenan, 1980.
2 Blackmore S. Dying to live: science and the near-death experience. London: Grafton--an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.
3 Morse M. Transformed by the light. New York: Villard Books, 1990.
4 Lempert T, Bauer M, Schmidt D. Syncope and near-death experience. Lancet 1994; 344: 829-30. [PubMed]
5 Appelby L. Near-death experience: analogous to other stress induced physiological phenomena . BMJ 1989; 298: 976-77. [PubMed]
6 Owens JE, Cook EW, Stevenson I. Features of "near-death experience" in relation to whether or not patients were near death . Lancet 1990; 336: 1175-77. [PubMed]
7 Greyson B. Dissociation in people who have near-death experiences: out of their bodies or out of their minds? Lancet 2000; 355: 460-63. [Text]
8 Sabom MB. Recollections of death: a medical investigation. New York: Harper and Row, 1982.
9 Greyson B. Varieties of near-death experience. Psychiatry 1993; 56: 390-99. [PubMed]
10 Morse M. Parting visions: a new scientific paradigm. In: Bailey LW, Yates J, eds. The near-death experience: a reader. New York and London: Routledge, 1996: 299-318.
11 Schmied I, Knoblaub H, Schnettler B. Todesnäheerfahrungen in Ost- und Westdeutschland--eine empirische Untersuchung. In: Knoblaub H, Soeffner HG, eds. Todesnähe: interdisziplinäre Zugänge zu einem außergewöhnlichen Phänomen. Konstanz: Universitätsverlag Konstanz, 1999: 217-50.
12 Greyson B. The incidence of near-death experiences. Med Psychiatry 1998; 1: 92-99. [PubMed]
13 Roberts G, Owen J. The near-death experience. Br J Psychiatry 1988; 153: 607-17. [PubMed]
14 Groth-Marnat G, Summers R. Altered beliefs, attitudes and behaviors following near-death experiences. J Hum Psychol 1998; 38: 110-25. [PubMed]
15 Atwater PMH. Coming back to life: the after-effects of the near-death experience. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1988.
16 Ring K. Heading towards omega: in search of the meaning of the near-death experience. New York: Quill William Morrow, 1984.
17 Parnia S, Waller DG, Yeates R, Fenwick P. A qualitative and quantitative study of the incidence, features and aetiology of near death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors. Resuscitation 2001; 48: 149-56. [PubMed]
18 Dickey W, Adgey AAJ. Mortality within hospital after resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation outside hospital. Br Heart J 1992; 67: 334-38. [PubMed]
19 Schoenbeck SB, Hocutt GD. Near-death experiences in patients undergoing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. J Near-Death Studies 1991; 9: 211-18. [PubMed]
20 Greyson B. The near-death experience scale: construction, reliability and validity. J Nervous Mental Dis 1982; 171: 369-75. [PubMed]
21 Schröter-Kunhardt M. Nah--Todeserfahrungen aus psychiatrisch-neurologischer Sicht. In: Knoblaub H, Soeffner HG, eds. Todesnähe: interdisziplinäre Zugänge zu einem außergewöhnlichen Phänomen. Konstanz: Universitätsverlag Konstanz, 1999: 65-99.
22 Sabom MB. Light and death: one doctors fascinating account of near-death experiences. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998: 37-52.
23 Penfield W. The excitable cortex in conscious man. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1958.
24 Meduna LT. Carbon dioxide therapy: a neuropsychological treatment of nervous disorders. Springfield: Charles C Thomas, 1950.
25 Whinnery JE, Whinnery AM. Acceleration-induced loss of consciousness. Arch Neurol 1990; 47: 764-76. [PubMed]
26 Jansen K. Neuroscience, ketamine and the near-death experience: the role of glutamate and the NMDA-receptor. In: Bailey LW, Yates J, eds. The near-death experience: a reader. New York and London: Routledge, 1996: 265-82.
27 Greyson B. Biological aspects of near-death experiences. Perspect Biol Med 1998; 42: 14-32. [PubMed]
28 Grof S, Halifax J. The human encounter with death. New York: Dutton, 1977.
29 Clute HL, Levy WJ. Electroencephalographic changes during brief cardiac arrest in humans. Anesthesiology 1990; 73: 821-25. [PubMed]
30 Aminoff MJ, Scheinman MM, Griffing JC, Herre JM. Electrocerebral accompaniments of syncope associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Ann Intern Med 1988; 108: 791-96. [PubMed]
31 Ring K, Cooper S. Mindsight: near-death and out-of-body experiences in the blind. Palo Alto: William James Center for Consciousness Studies, 1999.

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Human Rights act

2007-08-15T00:41:00.001-07:00

2. Where did the Human Rights Act start?

The roots of the Human Rights Act go back to the Second World War. After the war, the European Convention on Human Rights (often called 'the Convention') was written, setting out important basic human rights. In 2000 the Human Rights Act made the Convention part of British law.

The rights in the Convention are set out as separate 'articles'. Since the Convention was written, new 'protocols' have been added. Most of these protocols deal with procedure, but some of them add new rights to the Convention.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg was set up to consider cases brought by people who claim that their rights under the Convention have been broken ('breached' in legal terms). In many cases, this court has decided that the British government has breached the Convention. These cases have led to important changes in the law in this country.

Taking a case to the court in Strasbourg takes a long time. In almost all cases you must first take legal action in this country using the Human Rights Act before you take a case to the court in Strasbourg. You can take a case to Strasbourg only if you fail to win your case here under the Human Rights Act.

4. What can I do if I think my rights have been breached?

If you think a public authority has breached your Convention rights (or that it is going to), you can take court proceedings against them. You have to show that you have been affected by what the public authority has done or is going to do.

You can apply for a procedure called a 'judicial review' if:

* you want to challenge a decision made by a public authority; or
* you want the court to order a public authority to do something or stop doing something.

Under judicial review, a judge will look at your case and decide if the public authority has acted illegally. You have to start proceedings quickly, and at the latest within three months of the authority's decision or action you are challenging. It is important to consult a lawyer quickly and discuss the possibility of judicial review if you think that there has been a breach of your rights, because judicial review can be an effective way of challenging a decision or action, and you are more likely to get public funding (legal aid) for it than for a damages claim on its own.

If you just want compensation because your Convention rights have been breached, you can bring a claim for damages. You have to bring the case within a year of your rights being breached.

A court can award you compensation if it finds that your Convention rights have been breached. But the court may choose not to award you compensation if it decides that simply finding that your rights were breached is enough. The compensation that people have received for breaches of their Convention rights has been quite low.

You may also be able to rely on your Convention rights if you are defending yourself in court. This will happen most often in criminal cases, but it may also happen, for example, if you are:

* a council tenant and the council is trying to evict you; or
* an immigrant or asylum seeker facing deportation.

WHAT CASE ARENT COVERED BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT

5. Which cases doesn't the Act cover?

Sometimes a court won't be able to do anything about your rights being breached. The Human Rights Act doesn't allow the courts to overrule an Act of Parliament. If the courts can't interpret or apply a particular Act of Parliament in a way that respects or fits in with people's Convention rights, all they can do is make what's called a 'declaration of incompatibility'. The Government and Parliament then have to decide if the law should be changed. But until or unless that happens, the courts have to apply the law as it is, even though it does not fit in with Convention rights. The courts will not be able to award you any compensation.

If you find yourself in this situation, you could think about applying to the European Court of Human Rights, because the Court in Strasbourg can award compensation.

The Human Rights Act allows people to bring a case only against an organisation that is a public authority. So a person who is employed by, for example, a local council can take proceedings against their employer, but a person who is employed by a private company cannot.

Even so, the Act affects court cases between individuals and private organisations. This is because it changes the way the courts interpret and develop the existing law. The courts are already using Article 8 of the Convention (the right to respect for private and family life) to develop a law of privacy that will affect private individuals and organisations as well as public authorities.

6. The articles of the Act in detail

Here we explain what each article says. We also give examples of how they have been used in the past or how they might be used under the Human Rights Act. Bear in mind, though, that these are just examples, and the Convention rights can be used in many other ways.

Article 2: Right to life
This says that the Government and public authorities must protect the right to life. It may mean that the police have to protect someone whose life is under immediate threat. It might also be used to argue that a patient should be able to get treatment that would save their life. Article 2 says there are three situations when the Government or a public authority can justify taking someone's life. These are where:

* they are protecting someone else from illegal violence;
* they are trying to arrest someone or prevent someone from escaping from custody; or
* they are trying to stop a riot.

If someone dies in such a situation, the Government or public authority (usually the police) will have to show that no more force was used than absolutely necessary. Unless they can show this, they will have breached Article 2.

Article 2 also says there should be a proper investigation when the police or army kill someone or when someone dies in custody or when someone has died because of a public authority's negligence. This will usually be an inquest, but sometimes the Government, police or army may have to hold a public inquiry. Under Article 2, the family of the dead person may also have to be given legal aid so that they can fully participate in the investigation.

There are two particular situations that Article 2 does not cover:

* It cannot be used to stop a woman having an abortion.
* It does not give people who are terminally ill the right to be helped to die.

Article 3: Prohibition of torture
This says that no one should be tortured, and also forbids punishing or treating people in a way that is degrading or inhuman. The European Court of Human Rights says inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment has to be very serious to be a breach of Article 3. At the least, it must be extremely humiliating.

This article prevents people being deported to a country where they are likely to be tortured, or extradited (sent) to face criminal charges in a country where they will face the death penalty. It has also been used:

* in cases where social services have failed to protect children from severe abuse; and
* to argue that the Government should not withhold state support from asylum seekers because doing this would leave them destitute (with nothing to live on).

Prisoners or people held in hospital might use Article 3 if they are treated very badly or if the conditions on the prison or hospital are particularly bad.

Article 4: Prohibition of slavery and forced labour
This forbids slavery; that is, when one person is owned by another person, or when someone is forced to work.

However, the article makes it clear that this does not include work that someone has to do while they are in prison, or any work contracts that you agree to voluntarily.

Article 5: Right to liberty and security
This limits the circumstances in which someone can be detained and have their freedom taken away. It covers detention for:

* long periods - for example, if you are in prison or are forced to stay as a patient in a mental hospital); and
* short periods - for example, if you are arrested.

Article 5 says the law must be clear about how and when people can be detained. It also says that people can be detained only:

* if they have been convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment;
* if they have disobeyed a court order to make them do something that the law says they must do (such as paying a fine or paying maintenance);
* if there is good reason to suspect they have committed a crime, or to stop them from committing a crime, or to stop them running away after committing a crime;
* if they are mentally ill, alcoholic, a drug addict or a vagrant, or if it is necessary to detain them to stop an infectious disease spreading; or
* to stop them coming into the country illegally; or
* so that they can be deported or extradited (sent to a country where they have been accused of a crime).

People under 18 may also be detained to make sure they get educational supervision or can be taken to court.

However, English and Welsh law does not allow some types of people to be detained. For example, drug addicts can't be detained just because they are addicts.

Article 5 also gives people who have been arrested or detained the right to:

* be told why they have been arrested in a language they understand;
* be taken before a court quickly;
* bail (being released temporarily while court proceedings continue, which you may be given if you agree to meet conditions, such as living at a certain place), unless there are good reasons for not granting it;
* be tried within a reasonable time;
* take court proceedings to challenge their detention if they think it is illegal; and
* compensation if they have been illegally detained.

Article 5 also gives some people who are detained the right to have a court or tribunal look again at the reasons for their detention from time to time. This includes compulsory patients in a mental hospital and prisoners serving a life sentence once they have completed the tariff part of their sentence (the minimum period that they must spend in prison before the Parole Board can decide to release them on licence - that is, with conditions).

Article 6: Right to a fair trial
This article says everyone has the right to a fair trial and sets standards for the way hearings should be run. You may believe you have not had a fair trial if you lose your case, but there will be a breach of Article 6 only if the standards have not been met.

Article 6 applies to both civil proceedings (cases involving disputes between individuals or organisations) and criminal proceedings (when someone is prosecuted for an offence). Certain standards apply in both criminal and civil cases. These are the right to:

* a trial within a reasonable time;
* an independent judge;
* a public hearing (although in some circumstances the public is not allowed to watch);
* have the judge's decision made public; and
* know the judge's reasons for the decision.

In civil cases, Article 6 also protects the right to take court proceedings to settle a dispute (though, depending on the type of case, this right may be limited). In a very few cases Article 6 may also give you the right to legal aid for your case if you cannot present your case yourself and you cannot afford a lawyer.

In some situations where a person who is not completely independent makes a decision, they are not necessarily breaching Article 6 (for example, a housing officer reviewing a homelessness decision). This is because you would have the right to appeal against the decision to a court.

There are extra rights in criminal cases. These are the rights to:

* be presumed innocent until you have been proved guilty;
* be told at an early stage what you are being accused of;
* remain silent - you cannot be forced to answer questions, but the court may be able to take your silence into account when deciding whether you are guilty;
* have enough time to prepare your defence;
* have legal aid for a lawyer if you cannot afford one and it is 'in the interests of justice' for you to have one;
* be present at your trial;
* put your side of the case at your trial;
* question the main witnesses against you and call witnesses of your own; and
* have an interpreter if you need one.

Article 7: No punishment without law
This says you cannot be tried and found guilty if what you did was not a criminal offence when you did it. It also says that you can't be punished in a way that was not the law when you committed the offence. Parliament can't backdate a law that:

* increases the length of time you could be sent to prison; or
* introduces a new punishment for an offence.

Article 7 also says that the law must be clear so that people know whether what they are doing is against the law or not.

Article 8: Right to respect for private and family life
This says there should be respect for everyone's private and family life, home and correspondence.

There is no full definition of what 'private life' includes, though it is similar to privacy and covers the right to:

* get on with your life without interference;
* develop your personality and form friendships and relationships with other people;
* enjoy your sexuality; and
* control your body.

It also covers how people or organisations hold and use information about you.

'Family life' means your relationship with your close family. This includes a man and woman who aren't married but who live in a stable relationship, though the Court in Strasbourg has not yet recognised a same-sex couple as a family.

'Your home' means where you now live. The right to respect for your home does not mean that you have the right to be given a home if you do not have one, or to be given a better one than you already have.

'Your correspondence' means your phone calls and letters, as well as e-mails. People have used Article 8 to challenge the police or secret services bugging their phones.

Article 8 is a 'qualified right'. This means that the Government or a public authority may be allowed to restrict or interfere with the right in certain circumstances. The Government or the public authority must show that there was a clear legal basis for the restriction or interference. Its actions must pursue one of the six aims set out in Article 8. These aims include to prevent crime, and to protect the rights of others. It also has to show that breaching the right was 'necessary and proportionate' (that it was done for a very good reason and went no further than it needed to).

Article 8 has been used in many cases, including:

* cases brought by gay men, which led to the abolition of laws that restricted gay men having sex. The age of consent for gay men is now the same as for everyone else;
* a man who had been in care as a child, who used Article 8 to get his care records;
* a police officer who brought a successful claim against her bosses for tapping her work phone.

Article 9: Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
This guarantees that you can think what you want and can hold any religious belief. You cannot be forced to follow a particular religion and cannot be stopped from changing your religion. The freedom of conscience principle also applies to people who are vegan or pacifist. Article 9 also protects the right to practise or express your religion or beliefs.

Article 9 is a 'qualified' right, so it can be breached in some circumstances. This means that the Government or a public authority may be allowed to restrict or interfere with the right in certain circumstances. The Government or the public authority must show that there was a clear legal basis for the restriction or interference. Its actions must pursue one of the four aims set out in Article 9 - for example, to protect the rights of others. It also has to show that restriction or interference was 'necessary and proportionate' (that it was done for a very good reason and went no further than it needed to).

Article 10: Freedom of expression
This guarantees the right to pass information to other people and to receive information that other people want to give you. It also guarantees the right to hold and express opinions and ideas. It is similar to the right under Article 9, although the range of opinions and beliefs that are protected by Article 10 is much wider.

Journalists and people who publish newspapers and magazines can use Article 10 to argue there should be no restrictions on what they write about. Artists and writers can use it to defend themselves against people who try to censor their work.

Article 10 is a 'qualified' This means that the Government or a public authority may be allowed to restrict or interfere with the right in certain circumstances. The Government or the public authority must show that there was a clear legal basis for the restriction or interference. Its actions must pursue one of the eight aims set out in Article 10, which include:

* the prevention of crime;
* the protection of morals;
* the protection of other people's rights or reputations; and
* the protection of confidential information.

It also has to show that the interference was 'necessary and proportionate' (that it was done for a very good reason and went no further than it needed to).

Article 11: Freedom of association and assembly
This protects the right to protest peacefully by holding meetings and demonstrations. It also means that the police may have to act to protect people holding a meeting or demonstration from anyone trying to stop it.

Article 11 protects the right to form or join a political party or other group, and the right to belong to a trade union. But the right to join a trade union doesn't include police officers, soldiers and some other groups who work for the Government. Article 11 also guarantees the right not to have to join a union.

Article 11 is a 'qualified' right. This means that the Government or a public authority may be allowed to restrict or interfere with the right in certain circumstances. The Government or the public authority must show that there was a clear legal basis for the restriction or interference. Its actions must pursue one of the five aims set out in Article 11, which include preventing disorder or crime, and protecting other people's rights. It also has to show that breaching the right was 'necessary and proportionate' (that it was done for a good reason and went no further than it needed to).

At the moment, the police can restrict demonstrations or ban them. People may use Article 11 to challenge some of these restrictions if they believe they go too far and are not necessary.

Article 12: Right to marry and found a family
This gives men and women the right to marry, as long as they are old enough. Traditionally this did not include same-sex couples or transgender people (people who've undergone a sex change). However, both the Strasbourg and English and Welsh courts have recently found that transgender people do have the right to marry in their new gender (the sex they've changed to) and the law has now changed so that it is in line with these rulings.

The right to 'found a family' may apply only to people who are married. If it does, people who are not married will have to rely on the right to respect for family life under Article 8 to argue for their right to have children.

Article 14: Prohibition of discrimination
This includes many types of discrimination, including discrimination on grounds of:

* sex;
* race;
* religion; and
* political opinion.

However, the article does not say these are the only ones, and the European Court of Human Rights has accepted that it covers discrimination against people who are:

* non-marital (born to unmarried parents);
* unmarried;
* prisoners; or
* gay or lesbian.

The courts are also likely to accept that the article covers discrimination against someone because they are disabled. You can argue that you have been discriminated against on other grounds as well, but you will probably need to show that the discrimination is linked to a 'personal characteristic'.

Article 14 does not give general rights against discrimination. You can use it only where the discrimination is linked to another article of the Convention. For example, a gay man found that he could take over the tenancy on a flat after his partner had died, but on worse terms than if his partner had been a woman. He used Article 8 because his home was at stake. He then used Article 14 because he was discriminated against because of his sexual orientation.

Article 14 is often used with Article 1 of the First Protocol by people who are discriminated against in the payment of benefits.

Even if you can show that you have been discriminated against and that the discrimination is linked to another article, the Government or public authority might still be able to argue that the discrimination is justified. But they must show that there is a good reason for treating you differently and that their actions are proportionate (go no further than they need to).

Human Rights act

2007-08-15T00:41:00.000-07:00

without legal protection victims will suffer

2007-08-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a Report by BBC news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7895899.stm

DONT FORGET ABOUT Madeleine McCann

2007-08-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 17 May 2007
DON'T FORGET ABOUT MADELEINE McCANN

Madeleine's parents launch video appeal 'Don't forget about me'.

View the video on the Sky News Website.

Any ideas on how to help with the
search???????
Email: campaign@bringmadeleinehome.com

Posted by Lou at 11:07

Labels: Madeleine McCann, Sky News, video appeal

4 Comments:

Anonymous said...

For the McCann family .. As with milions of others, as a Mother and Grandmother, my thoughts, my prayers for the safe return of your beautiful child ..
Again, I have been, like millions of well-wishers I suspect, 150% impressed by the incredible bravery shown by Madeleine's parents who have to deal, not only with their fears and hopes in the face of a very person tragedy, but with the world press [with hopeful and helpful intentions I am sure] camping on their doorstep and filming every movement.

Let us hope that so many, many, well wishers can indeed help find Madeleine.
18 May 2007 11:39
kim said...

finally, someone who really knows!
24 July 2007 14:16
kim said...

finally, an expert

http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/blog-184126.html
24 July 2007 14:17
Anonymous said...

What a load of bollox THAT is.
24 July 2007 16:16

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BEEN MISSING FOR: 99 days.

THIS IS THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN OF MADELEINE BEFORE HER ABDUCTION IN PRAIA DA LUZ, PORTUGAL ON 3RD MAY 2007. THE PICTURE IS OF MADELEINE SITTING BY THE SWIMMING POOL ON THE DAY SHE WAS ABDUCTED FROM HER BED. LESS THAN EIGHT HOURS LATER, AROUND 10PM THAT NIGHT, MADELEINE DISAPPEARED.

MADELEINE WAS WEARING DISNEY EEYORE PYJAMAS THE NIGHT SHE WAS ABDUCTED. THE PYJAMA TOP IS LIGHT PINK WITH SHORT SLEEVES & HAS A PICTURE OF EEYORE ON THE FRONT WITH THE WORDS "Sleepy Eeyore" WRITTEN UNDERNEATH. THE BOTTOMS ARE WHITE, COVERED WITH SMALL FLOWER MOTIFS & ANOTHER EEYORE MOTIF ON THE RIGHT LEG.

MADELEINE'S DESCRIPTION

MADELEINE HAS BLONDE STRAIGHT HAIR AND BLUE/GREEN EYES. HER RIGHT EYE IS VERY DISTINCTIVE; THE PUPIL RUNS INTO THE IRIS (SEE BELOW PICTURE). SHE IS 90 CM TALL (2'11") AND IS NOW 4 YEARS OLD.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL 'FIND MADELEINE' WEBSITE HER
RELATED WEBSITES

* THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE
* CRIMESTOPPERS
* INTERPOL
* CEOP - Upload images
* VIRTUAL GLOBAL TASKFORCE
* PORTUGUESE POLICE
* SKY NEWS WEBSITE - MADELEINE
* LIFE OF CRIME BLOG (SKY NEWS)
* MISSINGKIDS.CO.UK
* CHILD RESCUE ALERT
* NEWS OF THE WORLD REWARD
* ENFANTS KIDNAPPES - ASSOCIATION OF KIDNAPPED CHILDREN IN EUROPE
* INTERNATIONAL REWARDS CENTRE - MADELEINE LATEST NEWS UPDATE
* CHILD FOCUS - EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MISSING & SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
* HELP FIND MADELEINE
* MADDIE FLASH VIDEO
* FIND MADDY
* MADELEINE McCANN BLOGSPOT
* MADELEINE McCANN APPEAL
* MADELEINE McCANN.NET
* THE NIGHTMARE OF THE McCANNS
* SOS MADDIE - FRENCH BLOG
* HELP FIND MADDIE BLOGSPOT
* MISSING PERSONS BLOG
* FUND RAISING EFFORTS ON EBAY
* DONNINGTON PARK FUND RAISER DETAILS

HELP FIND MADELEINE MCCANN

British 3 year old Madeleine McCann was taken by an unknown abductor in the holiday resort of Praia da Luz, Portugal on the evening of Thursday 3rd May 2007. She has not yet been found and may now be anywhere in Europe. Please look closely at her photos and help find this little girl. THE OFFICIAL McCANN FAMILY WEBSITE CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.FINDMADELEINE.COM

MADELEINE HAS NOW BEEN MISSING FOR: 99 days.

MADELEINE McCANN MISSING IN PORTUGAL. HAVE YOU SEEN HER?

MADELEINE McCANN DESAPARECEU EM PORTUGAL. TEM INFORMACOES SOBRE O SEU PARADEIRO?

L'AVEZ-VOUS VUE ?
HABEN SIE SIE GESEHEN?
ВЫ ВИДЕЛИ ЕЕ?
HEBT U HAAR GEZIEN?
LA AVETE VISTA?
您看见了她吗?

TRANSLATE THIS PAGE

Babel Fish Translation

HOW YOU CAN HELP...

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING MADELEINE PLEASE CALL:

PORTUGUESE POLICE
00351 282 405 400

CRIMESTOPPERS
0800 555 111

INT'L CRIMESTOPPERS
0044 18 83 73 13 36

OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL POLICE

IF YOU WERE IN PRAIA DA LUZ, PORTUGAL OR THE SURROUNDING AREA IN THE TWO WEEKS LEADING UP TO MADELEINE'S DISAPPEARANCE AND HAVE TAKEN ANY PHOTOGRAPHS WITH PEOPLE IN THEM THAT YOU DO NOT RECOGNISE, UPLOAD THEM AT CEOP.

'MADELEINE'S FUND: LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED' WAS SET UP ON 17TH MAY '07 AND CURRENTLY STANDS AT £946,843.92

MAKE A DONATION TODAY AND HELP FUND THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO REUNITE MADELEINE WITH HER FAMILY. FURTHER DETAILS OF THE OFFICIAL FUND CAN BE FOUND HERE.

HELP KEEP MADELEINE'S IMAGE IN THE PUBLIC EYE. DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR A WEBSITE? PLEASE DISPLAY A PHOTO OF MADELEINE ON YOUR FRONT PAGE.

DOWNLOAD AND DISPLAY POSTERS OR WEAR/DISPLAY A RIBBON TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW IDEAS ON HOW TO HELP FIND MADELEINE? EMAIL THE OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN campaign@bringmadeleinehome.com

VISIT THE OFFICIAL 'FIND MADELEINE' WEBSITE

"A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING WHAT THEY CAN DO TO MAINTAIN THE SEARCH FOR MADELEINE.

THE ADVICE WE HAVE HAD CONSISTENTLY FROM THE BEGINNING, AND VERY MUCH RE-EMPHASISED BY THE EXPERIENCE OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN IS TO MAINTAIN A HIGH PROFILE FOR THE MISSING CHILD.

THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY RELATIVELY SIMPLE MEASURES SUCH AS DISPLAYING POSTERS IN PROMINENT PUBLIC PLACES. WE ASK PEOPLE TO CONTINUE DOWNLOADING POSTERS FROM THE WEBSITE AND DISPLAY THEM AT BUS STATIONS, TRAIN STATIONS AND OF COURSE TAKE THEM ON HOLIDAY.

KATE AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO DESPERATELY WANTS US TO BE REUNITED WITH MADELEINE AND HAVE HELPED IN THIS REGARD."

YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS UNDER SECTION OF MHA 1983

2007-08-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

Sections

How to Get Redress

The Right to Privacy

The Right to Know

The Rights of Suspects

The Rights of Defendants

The Rights of Prisoners

The Rights of Victims and Witnesses

The Right of Peaceful Protest

The Right of Free Expression

The Right to Receive Equal Treatment

The Rights of Immigrants

The Rights of Travellers

The Rights of Workers

The Rights of People Detained under the Mental Health Act 1983

The Rights of Children and Young People

The Rights of the Bereaved

> Rights of People Detained Under the Mental Health Act > Rights in Hospital
Rights in Hospital
Property and Finance

Under existing law, all adults are presumed to have the capacity to manage their own affairs unless the contrary is shown. The fact that a person is detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act does not mean that he or she is incapable of managing his or her personal or financial matters. If a person is considered to be incapable of managing his or her own financial affairs, an application can be made to the Court of Protection to appoint a receiver to do so.

The Right to Receive Visitors

Detained patients have the right to be visited by their friends and family. The Code of Practice makes it clear that visitors should only be excluded in limited, and clearly documented, circumstances. Such circumstances could include cases where the visit is likely to cause a deterioration of the patient’s mental health or where there are concerns that the visitor may bring illicit drugs into the hospital.

Where such visits are refused, this must be justified under Article 8 of the Convention on the ground that the refusal is in the interests of public safety, preventing crime and disorder and protecting the health, rights and freedoms of others.

Correspondence

The MHA provides that if there has been a written request by the recipient, postal packets sent by a detained patient may be withheld.

For patients detained in the high security hospitals (Broadmoor, Rampton and Ashworth) the MHA provides for further potential restrictions on correspondence. Postal packets sent by such patients may be withheld from the addressee if the managers of the hospital consider that the postal packet is likely to cause distress to the addressee or others (not including members of staff of the hospital) or danger to any person. The MHA also states that post sent to such patients may be withheld from them if it is necessary to do so in the interests of the safety of the patient or the protection of other persons. These restrictions do not apply to correspondence between the patient and certain recipients, such as a Member of Parliament, the patient’s legal adviser and the MHRT.

Voting

The Representation of the People Act 2000 removed the bar on the use of a psychiatric hospital address for registration purposes and thus the bar on detained mental patients voting. The removal of this restriction enables both voluntary and detained civil patients to register to vote either at that address or another address with which they have a local connection. However, this Act also introduced a ban on voting for those detained in hospital via the criminal courts.

Complaints

Detained patients who are not happy with their care and treatment can make a complaint under the National Health Service (NHS) complaints procedure. If they are not happy with the hospital’s response they can ask the MHAC to investigate their complaint.

Definition of Mental Disorder
‘Mental disorder’ is defined as:

‘mental illness, arrested or incomplete development of mind, psychopathic disorder and any other disorder or disability of the mind.’

Mental illness is not defined in the Mental Health Act and the courts have considered a definition unnecessary, suggesting that the test should be what the ordinary sensible person would decide on a case-by-case basis. The conditions which are generally accepted as falling under the category of ‘mental illness’ include schizophrenia and mood disorders. Most admissions under the MHA requiring the category of mental disorder to be specified are admissions of individuals with a diagnosis of a mental illness.

The MHA defines three other forms of mental disorder:

* Severe mental impairment: ‘a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned.’
* Mental impairment: ‘a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind (not amounting to a severe mental impairment) which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned.’
* Psychopathic disorder: ‘a persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including significant impairment of intelligence) which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned.’

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Hutchison Reid v United Kingdom recently established that detention could be lawful even where the patient is suffering from a psychopathic disorder that cannot be treated in hospital.

The Mental Health Act states that a person cannot be treated as mentally disordered solely on the grounds of ‘promiscuity or other immoral conduct, sexual deviancy or dependence on alcohol or drugs.’

The terms used in the Mental Health Act are legal, not medical, categories. While recognising these terms have no legal meaning in the context of the Mental Health Act, many people, in particular people who use mental health services, prefer terms such as ‘mental health problems’ and ‘mental distress’ when describing their experience.

Your Rights to Protection
Following a crime, various forms of protection are available to victims, witnesses and their families.

Where there is victim or witness intimidation or a history of repeated offences, the police can decide to provide protection through provision of panic alarms, mobile phones, telephone link lines from your home direct to the police station, increased police patrols or 24 hour surveillance. In extreme cases they can provide protective custody, short or long term relocation or even a change of identity.

There are a number of recommendations in Speaking up for Justice - the Report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Treatment of Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses in the Criminal Justice System published by the Home Office in June 1998 - which relate to protection for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including developing protocols regarding witness intimidation and witness protection, the use of bail conditions and ensuring witnesses know of these, the installation of panic alarms, security lighting or home-based CCTV and the opportunity for a temporary or permanent housing transfer.

~ Domestic Violence

~ Human Rights Act Implications for Protection

Mental Health Act 2007

Mental Health Bill: latest newsletter, 27 June 2007

As promised, I am writing again now that the Bill has completed its passage through the Commons. I can best summarise the experience as being interesting but frustrating. The second reading debate was, in many ways, similar to debates in the Lords. The College submitted a briefing to MPs which is on the College website. The debate was uneventful.

Committee stage in the Commons has recently changed. Since January 1st all Public Bills are put through what is called a “public bill” committee. These committees are permitted to take written and, if they wish, oral evidence. Prior to this, committee consisted solely of the discussion of the Bill by selected members of parliament. We were somewhat surprised when it was announced that the Mental Health Bill would go before such a committee because it was introduced in November 2006. Again the College submitted evidence which is on our website. The committee did not take oral evidence.

The committee consisted of twelve Labour MPs, six Conservatives, two Liberal-Democrats and one Plaid Cymru. The MPs are hand-picked by their parties. In the Lords the opposition is permitted to have its own advisors on the floor of the chamber, so that all parties have access to advice and briefing in support of their side’s amendments. There is no such equality in the Commons. “In-flight refuelling”, as it was described by one MP, is only readily available for the government. It was very frustrating sitting a few feet from MPs as they discussed, for example, an amendment to reduce the ‘3 month rule’ (in relation to medication) to 2 months. They exchanged views on how long it takes for anti-depressant medication to work, from an acknowledged position of ignorance, whilst I had to sit mute (not a strength of mine at any time). Even more frustrating was the fact that the debates appeared to be largely pointless. There were twelve sessions of committee taking up significant parliamentary time (not to mention the time of those of us watching the proceedings) and yet when it came to voting every MP, no matter what views they had expressed, voted along with their party. In terms of bringing about change to the provisions of the bill it could all have been done and dusted within an hour. I was reminded of a line from the operetta Iolanthe (Gilbert and Sullivan) “they leave their brains outside and vote just as their leaders tell them to”. Actually that’s rather unfair, points expressed sometimes formed the basis for further debate and amendment.

Amongst many other amendments, we joined the BMA in tabling what is called a ‘probing amendment’ to explore issues relating to whether or not the Responsible Clinician needs to be able to provide objective medical expertise of mental disorder (in order to be able to keep under review whether or not the detained patient meets the criteria for detention as set out in Winterwerp v the Netherlands). The government majority defeated it.

The bottom line, as they say, is that the only changes made during this time were to remove every one of the Lord’s amendments and return the bill to its original provisions.

It was at the end of committee that five organisations (out of eighty) suspended their membership of the Alliance. I have previously posted a statement about this on the College website and so will not repeat the issues here.

The Bill then went to Report stage and Third reading. For the first time all MPs have a chance to vote. And it was around here that I really began to struggle. An amending Bill is very difficult to read. New clauses (clauses are what sections are called before the Bill becomes an Act) are relatively easy, apart from the convoluted legal language and their length (the new clause on victims’ rights is 10 pages long). The amendments however read something like this “Page 32, Line 4 (Clause 32), leave out from ‘subsection’ to line 5 and insert ‘(1A)(inserted by section 28 of this Act) insert- “(1B) ‘. Unless you know every word of the Act you need to look this up. Now amendments tabled during the passage of the Bill obviously amend the Bill, not the original Act. So, when you turn to the Bill you find, “page 14, line 42 leave out ‘36A’ and substitute ‘may make provision subject to specified conditions’ (this is a fictional, but realistic example). To make matters worse the Bill is reprinted after each stage, incorporating any changes made in the previous stage. It is, therefore, essential to have the latest version of the Bill, and the original Act alongside you when trying to get to grips with what the amendments mean. For Report stage the government alone tabled 60 amendments (the total tabled was double this, along with nearly 30 new clauses).

Enough chatter. The headline changes:

1. All the Lords changes, except those introduced by the government (of course), have been reversed. Exclusions, impaired decision-making, ‘treatability’, renewal, age appropriate services and personnel (CAMHS) and the restrictions to CTOs were all removed in committee.

However statements were made in committee and negotiations have taken place. There have been numerous small changes made. The big issues are:

1. Appropriate treatment will be defined in section 145: Any reference in this Act to medical treatment, in relation to mental disorder, shall be construed as a reference to medical treatment the purpose of which is to alleviate, or prevent a worsening of, the disorder or one or more of its symptoms or manifestations.

1. All patients on a substantive section will have the right to the help of a mental health advocate.
1. Ensuring the patient receives medical treatment
2. Preventing risk of harm to the patient’s health or safety
3. Protecting other persons
2. Victims rights enhanced (Chapter 2 of Part 3 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 amended).

And so back to the Lords on July 2nd. The potential for further change is now reduced. The Lords are only permitted to amend clauses which are new, or have been amended, since the Bill left their Lordships house first time round. If the Lords change anything it’s back to the Commons – and so on, until both Houses agree. This part of the parliamentary process is called ‘ping-pong’.

I have been asked several times if I think the Bill will complete its passage through Parliament. Because the Bill started in the Lords, the Parliament Act can’t be used. Furthermore, the Bill can’t be carried over to the next session (i.e. beyond the Queen’s speech in November. In other words the Bill could, in theory, fall. However I think this extremely unlikely. We will have a ‘Mental Health Act 2007’ (as it will be called).

NEW RIGHTS OF VICTIMS TO BE HEARD

2007-08-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Home» Resources » New policy on the rights of victims to be heard at tribunal hearings
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21/03/07 MHRT Supplementary Guidance on Victims Policy

MHRT Supplementary Guidance on Victims Policy (PDF 13KB)

29/07/05 MHRT announces new policy on the rights of victims to be heard at tribunal hearings

Following extensive discussions with the Home Office, the Lord Chancellor, the Department of Health, and representatives of Victims’ Organisations, the MHRT is publishing today its new policy setting out the rights of victims to access tribunal hearings. The new policy is contained in the attached word file.

Older patients' rights 'abused'
Older couple
Older people may face discrimination
Many hospitals and care homes are failing to protect the human rights of older people in their care, a report by MPs and peers warns.

The Select Committee on Human Rights highlighted the fact that 21% of facilities failed to meet even minimum standards on dignity and privacy.

It uncovered evidence of neglect, abuse, discrimination and unfair treatment of frail older people.

The government said reforms would be driven through.

The committee heard evidence of care home residents being left lying in their own urine or excrement.

Their report argued that existing legislation was lacking and should be beefed up to offer older people in care more protection. An "entire culture change" was needed, it said.

ONE WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE
"I went to visit my husband on the first day. When I went in he was almost in tears.
He said: "Please, please go and get a bottle. I am nearly wetting myself."
I rushed out. I got a bottle and I said to him: "Well, why didn't you just ring the nurse?"
He said: "I have. For an hour and a half I've been asking for a bottle."
When I went out and told the nurse she said "Oh, don't worry, we would have changed the sheets."
His dignity at that stage would have gone out of the window."

'My father was neglected'

It criticised the failure of the Department of Health and Ministry of Justice to give leadership and guidance to health and residential care services providers.

And it warned that age discrimination persists in hospitals and care homes in more subtle and indirect ways than in the past.

MPs and peers said the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights should monitor the situation, and ensure older people were treated properly.

There was also a need for a system to allow complaints to be investigated by an independent third party.

'Betrayal of trust'

Committee chairman Andrew Dismore said: "Neglect and ill-treatment of the elderly is a severe abuse of human rights.

"It is a serious betrayal of trust by the very people upon whom older people depend for care.

"We must see a complete change of culture in the health and care services."

Mr Dismore said the Human Rights Act, which came into force seven years ago, was supposed to protect the most vulnerable, but had failed to become a catalyst for positive change.

"I look forward to the day when I walk into a hospital or care home and when I see the usual sign about the staff having the right to be treated with dignity and respect, there is added on to it 'and so do you, the patients and relatives' - or better still, it's the other way around."

Shameful treatment

Kate Jopling, of the charity Help the Aged, said the report had "lifted the lid on the shameful treatment" of older people by health and care services.

She said: "Far from tending to the needs of the most vulnerable, too often these services fail to even respect older people's most basic human rights."

"Surely the shocking examples highlighted by this report provide all the evidence this government needs to justify urgent action to remedy the situation."

Gordon Lishman, of Age Concern, said: "The Department of Health must, as the Committee says, show more leadership in putting human rights at the heart of health and social care."

Health Minister Ivan Lewis said: "The government regards abuse of vulnerable and older people as unacceptable in all its forms and is determined to root it out."

"We are strengthening our leadership role and embarking on a major programme of change which will seek to address the issues raised in this report.

"This includes the integration of the inspection, regulation and complaints systems for health and social care, the review of adult protection guidance and the development of a national strategy to improve dementia services."
New procedures concerning the rights of access to MHRT hearings of victims of certain criminal offences committed by patients (PDF 48KB)

MENTAL HEALTH ALLIANCE GROUP

2007-08-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

mental health alliance banner
About us The Bill in Parliament Our Campaign Get Involved News Policy & Resources

* What's New
* Older News
* Government policies
* Race Equality Impact Assessment
* History of reform
* The Parliamentary Process

What's New
Rosie Winterton addresses the Mental Health Alliance rally, January 2005

Rosie Winterton addresses the Mental Health Alliance rally, January 2005
Mental Health Act passed
20 July 2007

The Mental Health Act has been passed and given Royal Assent on 19 July. The Alliance will continue to work during the consultation on the Code of Practice.
Mental Health Bill nears completion
3 July 2007

The Mental Health Bill was debated in the House of Lords yesterday evening. The House voted to keep the changes made in the House of Commons but added three new amendments:

* A respect for diversity principle which will be included in the Code of Practice.
* That renewals of detention must be agreed by the person’s responsible clinician (RC) and a professional who has been professionally involved with the patient.
* That when making a CTO the RC must have regard to the patient's history and the risk of deterioration if the patient is not detained in hospital.

The Bill is expected to return to the House of Commons for the final time next week.
Report stage in the Commons
20 June 2007

The Mental Health Bill Report Stage in the House of Commons took place on 18 and 19 June. The Hansard records of the two days are below, followed by our summary of developments.

Download Commons Report Stage Day 1 text (Word, 833 KB)

Download Commons Report Stage Day 2 text (Word, 429 KB)

The outcomes of the Report Stage are summarised below.
Advocacy

The new amendments place a duty on the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers to make arrangements to ensure that independent mental health advocates are available to patients under the Mental Health Act.

The amendment covers all of the patients covered by our amendment except for those brought in or held in hospital under emergency powers but not yet detained (s4, s5(2) or (4), s135, s136).

The amendment covers children who are not detained but considered for ECT, which our amendment didn't cover. As a result of this, a person will never go more than 72 hours without the right to advocacy being activated.

Advocates are asked to perform the following functions - provision of information, understanding rights, help in exercising rights, the advocate needs to be independent and there is a right to see the patient in private. The patient is given information at the point of detention or as soon as practicable thereafter in all cases.
Nearest Relative

No concessions were made by the Government on nearest relative. A patient still cannot choose their nearest relative in advance - but they can apply to the county court (CC) for the displacement of their nearest relative on the grounds that they are unsuitable and seek to have them replaced with someone else.

‘Unsuitability’ covers situations where there is no effective relationship between patient and NR or the relationship has irretrievably broken down.

We will continue to hold consultations about the Code of Practice.

Patients will be advised of their rights around the CC procedure and a user friendly guide produced - but it is unclear if legal aid will be available to fund these applications.
Victim’s Rights

The Bill now extends victims' rights to information about the discharge of mentally disordered offenders and the ability to make representations to the Mental Health Review Tribunal in cases of unrestricted patients.
Electroconvulsive Therapy

Safeguards will be extended for patients receiving ECT.
Children - Age appropriate accommodation.

The change to the Bill requires hospital managers to ensure that patients under 18 who are admitted to hospital for assessment or for treatment under the legislation or who are voluntary patients are in an environment that is suitable for their age (subject to their needs).
Young People - Tribunals

Young people aged 16 and 17 will now be able to access tribunals every year, if they do not exercise their right to appeal, rather than every three years.
CTOs

An amendment has been passed that removes the list of supervised community treatment (SCT) conditions and instead makes explicit the purpose of the SCT conditions - i.e. conditions can be imposed on an order if they are necessary or appropriate to: ensure that the patient receives medical treatment; prevent risk of harm to the patient's health or safety; or protect other persons.
Treatability

An amendment laid by Chris Bryant MP (Labour) provides that any reference in the Mental Health Act to medical treatment, in relation to mental disorder, shall be construed as a reference to medical treatment the purpose of which is to alleviate, or prevent a worsening of, the disorder or one or more of its symptoms or manifestations.

The Alliance has asked for assurances on the word manifestations.
Bournewood

The introduction of a number of new safeguards in relation to people subject to Mental Capacity Act: deprivation of liberty authorisations, including extending access to independent mental capacity advocates.

useful links LIFEBOATS SERVICE

2007-08-03T13:10:00.001-07:00

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE (UK)

Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary

http://www.ccga-gcac.com

The official website of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary(CCGA)
DGzRS

http://www.dgzrs.de

Germany's maritime rescue service
ICE-SAR

http://www.icesar.com/

Iceland's maritime rescue service
KNRM

http://www.knrm.nl

Maritime rescue service of The Netherlands
NSRI

http://www.nsri.org.za/new/default.asp

South Africa's maritime rescue service
NSSR

http://www.nssr.no

Norway's maritime rescue service
SNS

http://www.salvamento.it

Italy's maritime rescue service
SNSM

http://www.snsm.net/accueil.php

France's maritime rescue service
SSRS

http://www.ssrs.se

Sweden's maritime rescue service
US Coast Guard

http://www.uscg.mil

The official site of the US Coast Guard
USCGA

http://www.cgaux.org

US Coast Guard Auxiliary, America’s volunteer lifesavers
VISAR

http://www.visar.org

The Virgin Island's maritime rescue service

Water and beach safety

National Water Safety Forum

http://www.nationalwatersafety.org.uk

A voluntary forum giving water safety organisations a strong voice with government. Primarily concerned with preventative action and water safety education, the NWSF advises and comments on legislation
Easytide

http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EasyTide/EasyTide/Sele...

Online tidal predictions from the UK Hydrographic Office
National Beach Safety Council

http://www.nationalbeachsafety.org.uk

Advisory group to the National Water Safety Forum, representing beach safety organisations
Surf Life Saving Association of Great Britain

http://www.surflifesaving.org.uk

With more than 50 years experience in beach lifeguarding, the Surf Life Saving Association NARS award for beach lifeguards has international recognition and accreditation of lifeguarding awards from the International Life Saving Federation (ILS)
Royal Life Saving Society UK

http://www.lifesavers.org.uk

Respected across the world, the National Pool and Beach Lifeguard Qualifications are the UK's leading lifeguard qualifications. Visit their site for information on how to become a fully qualified lifeguard.
Good Beach Guide

http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk

The Good Beach Guide is the biggest and best beach guide available with a description, photo and a map for each of 1,200 beaches in the UK
World water safety conference and exhibition

http://www.worldwatersafety.org

ILS World Water Safety 2007 Conference and Exhibition that will take place on 27, 28 and 29 September 2007 in Porto, Portugal

General maritime

RYA

http://www.rya.org.uk

Royal Yachting Association - promoting and protecting boating
BBC Radio Cornwall - Sea Sense

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/sea_sense/index.shtm...

BBC Radio Cornwall's dedicated RNLI page.
SeaBritain 2005

http://www.seabritain2005.com

Celebrating Britain’s maritime heritage and the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar
The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society

http://shipwreckedmariners.org.uk

Caring for merchant seafarers, fishermen and their families since 1839

Charitable giving

Remember a charity

http://www.rememberacharity.org.uk

How to help your favourite charities by including them in your will

Search and rescue in the UK and RoI

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

http://www.mcga.gov.uk

The official website of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Irish Coast Guard

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Marine/Irish+Coast+Guard+I...

The official website of The Irish Coast Guard
MOB Guardian

http://www.mobguardian.co.uk

The MOB Guardian website

Weather

The Met Office

http://www.metoffice.com

One of the world's leading providers of environmental and weather-related services

RNLI Fundraising Branches

Bexleyheath fundraising branch

http://www.rnli-bexleyheath.org.uk

Twickenham fundraising branch

http://www.rnlitwickenham.org.uk

Cheltenham fundraising branch

http://www.cheltenhamrnli.org.uk

Erdington fundraising branch

http://www.erdingtonrnli.com

KNIFES COST LIVES PUT DOWN THE GUNS

employment jobs web addresses

2007-08-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

Useful Sites

Government

Cabinet Office (Office of Public Service)
http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/
Connexions
http://www.connexions.gov.uk/

Dept for Education and Skills
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/
Dept for Health
http://www.doh.gov.uk/

Dept for Transport
http://www.dft.gov.uk/
Dept for Work & Pensions
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/

Environment Agency
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

Home Office
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Neighbourhood Renewal Unit
http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/

Quality Protects
http://www.doh.gov.uk/qualityprotects

Social Exclusion Unit
http://www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk

Supporting People
http://www.spkweb.org.uk/

The Local Government Association
http://www.lga.gov.uk/top/htm/

Housing and Homelessness

Broadway
http://www.hsaonline.org/

Centrepoint
http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/
CHAS
http://www.chasnational.org.uk/

Crisis
http://www.crisis.org.uk/
Empty Homes Agency
http://www.emptyhomes.com/

Ex-Service Action Group - 'Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation'
http://www.oswaldstoll.org.uk/

Get Connected
http://www.getconnected.org.uk/

Groundswell
http://www.groundswell.org.uk/

Messrs G Owen & Co - Rough Sleepers | Homelessness | Night Shelters • External Contacts
http://clix.to/nightshelters

Resource Information Centre
http://www.homelesslondon.org.uk/

Single Homeless in London
http://www.ris.org.uk/

Homeless Link
http:/www.homeless.org.uk/

Homeless Pages
http://www.homelesspages.org.uk/

HousingNet
http://www.housingnet.co.uk/
Hostels Online
http://www.hostels.org.uk/

Inside Housing
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/

The London Connection
http://www.london-connection.org.uk/

National Housing Federation
http://www.housing.org.uk/
Nightstop UK
http://www.nightstop-uk.org/

Off the Streets and into Work
http://www.osw.org.uk/

Regeneration & Renewal
http://www.regenerationmagazine.com/

Shelter
http://www.shelter.org.uk/

St. Mungo's
http:/www.stmungos.org.uk/

Thamesreach Bondway
http://www.thamesreachbondway.com/

International homelessness
EMMAUS
http://www.emmaus.org.uk/

EAPN
http://www.eapn.org

FEANTSA
http://www.feantsa.org/
National Coalition for the Homeless
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/

Other Big Issues

The Big Issue - Australia
http://www.bigissue.org.au/

The Big Issue – Cape Town, South Africa
http://www.bigissue.co.za/

The Big Issue in the North
http://www.bigissueinthenorth.com/

The Big Issue Scotland
http://www.bigissuescotland.com/

The Big Issue - Southwest
http://www.bigissuesouthwest.co.uk/

International Street Papers and Homelessness Resources

Aluma, Malmo, Sweden:
http://www.aluma.nu/

Asfalter, Salzburg, Austria:
http://www.asfalter.at/

Asphalt, Hannover, Germany:
http://www.asphalt-magazin.de/

Augustin, Vienna, Austria:
http://www.augustin.bus.at/

BIG news, New York, USA:
http://www.mainchance.org

BISS, Munich, Germany:
http://www.biss-magazin.de

Cais, Lisbon, Portugal:
http://www.forum.pt/cais

Diagonal, Buenos Aires, Argentina:
http://www.periodicodiagonal.org.ar

Dromologia, Athens, Greece:
http://www.dromologia.freeyellow.com

Factor S, Montevideo, Uruguay:
http://www.factors.org.uy

Faktum, Goteborg, Sweden:
http://www.faktum.nu

Hecho, Buenos Aires, Argentina:
http://www.hechoenbsas.com

Hempels, Kiel, Germany:
http://www.hempels-eu.de

Hinz & Kunzt, Hamburg, Germany:
http://www.hinzundkunzt.de

Homeless Talk, Johannesburg, South Africa:
http://www.homelesstalk.org.za

Hus Forbi, Copenhagen, Denmark:
http://www.husforbi.dk

L'intineraire, Quebec, Canada:
http://www.intineraire.educ.infinit.net

Megaphon, Graz, Austria:
http://www.megaphon.at

Novy Prostor - No Borders, Prague, Czech Republic:
http://www.novyprostor.com

Ocas, Sao Paulo, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil:
http://www.ocas.org.br

Real Change, Seattle, USA:
http://www.realchangenews.org

Spare Change News, Boston, USA:
http://www.homelessempowerment.org

Situation Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden:
http://www.situationstockholm.se

Straat, Rotterdam, Netherlands:
http://www.straatmagazine.nl

Straatnieuws, Utrecht, Netherlands:
http://www.straatnieuws.nl

Streetwise, Chicago, USA:
http://www.streetwise.org

Suprise, Basle, Switzerland:
http://www.surprise-ch.org

Tages Satz, Gottingen, Germany:
http://www.tagessatz.de

Terre di Nezzo, Milan, Italy:
http://www.terre.it

The Depths, St Petersburg, Russia:
http://www.nadne.ru

The Depths Siberia, Novosibirsk, Russia:
http://www.nadne.ru

Trott War, Stuttgart, Germany:
http://www.trott-war.de

The Way Home, Odessa, Ukraine:
http://www.wayhome.org.ua

Z Magazine, Amsterdam, Netherlands:
http://www.zmagazine.nl

INSP:
http://www.street-papers.org

NASNA - North America:
http://www.speakeasy.org/nasna

Other Organisations

ABC Tales
http://www.abctales.com/

Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/

Campaign for Racial Equality
http://www.cre.gov.uk/

Child Poverty Action Group
http://www.cpag.org.uk/

Code of Guidance for LA's on the Allocation of Accommodation and Homelessness
http://www.housing.detr.gov.uk

Community Action Network
http://www.can-online.org.uk

Demos
http://www.demos.co.uk

DETR: Rough Sleeping Strategy Delivery
http://www.housing.detr.gov.uk

Drugscope
http://www.drugscope.org.uk

Friends of the Earth
http://www.foe.co.uk/

Greenpeace
http://www.greenpeace.org/

Get Ethical
http://www.getethical.com

IPPR
http://www.ippr.org.uk

Missing Persons Helpline
http://www.missingpersons.org/

New Academy of Business:
http://www.new-academy.ac.uk

New Economics Foundation
http://www.neweconomics.org

Prison Reform Trust
http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk

Reclaim the Streets
http://www.reclaimthestreets.net/

Refugee Council
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk

Shelternet
http://www.shelternet.co.uk

Schnews
http://www.schnews.org.uk/

School for Social Entrepreneurs
http://www.sse.org.uk

Social Enterprise London
http://www.sel.org.uk

Social Venture Network Europe
http://www.svneurope.com

Training For Life
http://www.trainingforlife.org

UK Social Investment Forum
http://www.uksif.org

Big Issue by Topic
-------------------------------

ABOUT THE BIG ISSUE
All about who we are and what we do

OTHER BIG ISSUES
Our sister titles in the US, South Africa, Namibia and Australia

CONTACT US
Get in touch with the Big Issue

REGIONAL EDITIONS
The Big Issue magazine around the UK

INTERNATIONAL
Street papers around the rest of the world

BBC ACTION NETWORK INFORMATION

2007-08-02T03:11:00.000-07:00

By BBC Action Network team

Telephone helplines provide support
Telephone helplines provide support
Whether it is stress at work or clinical depression, one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life.

But this costs the economy an estimated £11.6bn a year, according to one report, and some argue that our mental health system is still failing its patients.

This briefing outlines the problems facing mental health patients, what is being done to change the system and how you can get involved on mental health issues, both nationally and in your community.

1. What are the concerns of mental health campaigners?

Mental health organisations have long argued that the mental health system is riddled with problems. Listed below are some of the arguments they put forward:

Mental health sufferers are stigmatised
Mental health sufferers face discrimination in the workplace and at the hands of the benefits system, leaving them impoverished, unemployed and sometimes homeless, according to the Citizens’ Advice Bureau. The Royal College of Psychiatrists wants people who suffer from mental health conditions to have the same rights and protections as people with physical disabilities. Its website has more information about stigmatisation.

The welfare system fails mental health patients
A Citizens’ Advice Bureau report published in April 2004 highlighted the difficulties that people with mental health problems encounter when dealing with the benefits system and managing personal finances. Campaigners want to see mental health advisers at job centres and increased mental health awareness for all benefits staff. Read about Mind’s benefits’ campaign or its views on the welfare reform bill.

It is too difficult to access the mental health system
People experience problems when trying to get help from the mental health system. A 2003 report from Rethink found that one in four people are turned away when seeking help for mental illness and waiting times for treatment are very long. They have produced a paper looking at what the future of mental health (PDF) might be.

Patients should be more involved in their treatment
There is too much emphasis on prescribing drugs to solve conditions, campaigners argue, and a survey by Norwich Union Healthcare in March 2004 showed most GPs admitted to over-prescribing anti-depressants. The Mental Health Foundation encourage people with problems such as depression to consider other factors such as diet and exercise as important parts of any treatment.

There isn’t enough openness about prescription drugs
There is concern about the amount of information available to the public about the potential risks and side-effects of drugs. Mind has previously campaigned for stricter drug regulation and is still lobbying Parliament for changes to the system.

^^back to top
2. Will legislation address these concerns?

There are several pieces of legislation going through Parliament that, if passed, would address some of the concerns of mental health campaigners.

The Mental Health Bill
The main piece of legislation the government is hoping to introduce is the Mental Health Bill.

While mental health charities point to shortcomings in the mental health system, the government and other groups are concerned that current laws do not offer enough protection to the public. They argue that doctors need more powers in order to detain and forcibly treat people with serious mental illness who may pose a threat to the public.

This bill would allow people with severe personality disorders to be detained—whether or not they have committed a crime—and it has provoked considerable controversy. To find out more you can read The Mental Health Bill: an Action Network briefing.

Mental Capacity Act
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is due to come into effect in England and Wales in 2007. The Act changes laws concerned with decision-making for the mentally-ill, as well as other groups of people who may lack the capacity to make decisions for themselves, such as stroke victims and those with age-related dementia.

Health professionals and carers must now assume that a person has the ability to make decisions about their own treatment, unless it can be proved otherwise. If they suspect that someone is incapable of making a decision, then they must follow certain steps:

* Apply a test to assess whether a person is able to take a particular decision at that time
* Find out if the person wishes to nominate somebody to make decisions about their treatment
* If taking decisions on someone’s behalf, then ensure everything done follows the checklist and is in their best interests

The Act is accompanied by a code of practice, which provides guidance on how the new law is applied in everyday situations. It is aimed at anyone who works with or cares for a person covered by the Act, including family, friends and unpaid carers.

You can find more information about the Act from the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Making Decisions Alliance, a group of organisations working with people who have difficulty making or communicating decisions.

Disability Discrimination Act
Under the Disability Discrimination Act people with mental health problems are granted the same protections as physically-disabled people and have certain rights in the workplace such as:

* A right to flexibility in working hours, which may be necessary to attend counselling
* Exemption from speaking to large gatherings, if requested

If these rights are not granted then the employer can be challenged in the courts or at a tribunal. Mind has more information about mental health rights and the Disability Discrimination Act, and Rethink also has information on laws covering mental health, including the Human Rights Act, and the Disability Discrimination and Mental Capacity Acts.

Where can I find out about my rights?
The BBC Mental Health website spells out your rights under the mental health act. The mental health charity Rethink also has information on legal rights. The Hyperguide to the Mental Health Act provides a useful summary of the current law.

^^back to top
3. What else is the government doing?

The government has said it will also tackle some of the problems highlighted by mental health campaigning groups. The Social Exclusion Unit published a report into tackling the social exclusion of mental health patients in June 2004.

In response, the government launched an action plan which it said would aim to:

* Clarify benefit rules for those who want employment
* Provide employment advisers for people with severe mental health problems
* Provide support for those interested in self-employment
* Provide better access to financial and legal advice
* Improve the service provided by mental health day care centres
* Work with the police and criminal justice system on mental health issues

This action plan is being driven forward by the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMHE) which has launched a review of what works in tackling stigma and discrimination.

^^back to top
4. How to get involved

Have your say on local health service provision
As a user of the health service you have the right to make your views heard on local health service provision. Read the Action Network guide on How you can get involved in improving NHS services in England for more on this. Mind has information on how to have a say at a regional level. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) has a Citizens’ Council, which you can volunteer for to make your views on mental health treatment guidelines known.

Get involved locally
If you have the appropriate experience, you could help local support groups, such as the North Staffordshire Users Group, which is led by and for mental health service users. It supports self-help and promotes the views of mental health service users, and provides volunteers who attend hospital meetings and others to help people get their voice heard. Your local primary care trust will have a list of your local support groups.

Join the local branches of national campaigns by mental health charities. You can find your local Mind. Rethink, a mental health charity, has produced a guide to local campaigning.

Provide support for local telephone helplines, which are often run by volunteers. The Mental Health Helplines Partnership Project has a list of telephone helplines.

Lobby your council to set up online support forums such as Kooth, an online counselling service for Stockport youth provided by the council.

The BBC runs Action Network as an open forum for people to influence issues they care about. Most of the content is written by the public and reflects their views.

THE INSTITUE OF MENTAL HEALTH LAW

2007-07-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

SUMMARY FROM THE BULLETIN OF
THE INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH LAW

APRIL 2005

I will hurt someone …, Halifax Today, 16th March 2005
A teenager told psychiatrists she was out of control and had the urge to hurt others just months before she killed her boyfriend, an inquiry has found. Despite the revelation, teamed with a history of self harm and violence towards others, psychiatrists concluded Jayne Coulter was of “no immediate risk to herself or others”. Coulter, of Mixenden, Halifax, was 19 when she stabbed 18-year-old Nathaniel Lees to death at their home in Clough Lane. She had had psychiatric problems since she was 13. But an independent inquiry into the case said failings in the system found her notes were not collated into one file, meaning doctors did not know her full mental history. Failings included not making a formal risk assessment and Coulter having to wait six months for an appointment that was deemed urgent. Experts differed about the diagnosis and because this wasn’t resolved risks were increased, said the report. When she stabbed Nathaniel, Coulter was under the care of South Yorkshire Mental Health Trust. After admitting she could end up hurting others in December 2001, Coulter was “urgently” referred to the clinical psychology service for a second opinion. But no appointment was available until June 2002. She killed Nathaniel on April 1, 2002.

Coulter was jailed for life in February 2003 after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. She stabbed Nathaniel several times with a kitchen knife. She began seeing the child and adolescent psychiatry services when she was 13. She first came to the attention of adult services in November 2001 after an overdose. She was referred to the self-harm team and a locum consultant psychiatrist and was seen in December 2001. In March 2002 she took another overdose and was assessed by a duty doctor, who only had her case notes, and discharged. The inquiry was commissioned by West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority. Its author Dr Simon Baugh, a medical director for Bradford NHS Care Trust said: “There is a requirement for anyone in contact with secondary psychiatric services to be subject to the Care Programme Approach, and in this case an Enhanced Care Programme would be appropriate given the multiple services involved and the risk of self harm which was obvious in this case. This must be seen as a failure of the system. There is no evidence anywhere in the documentation of a formal risk assessment beyond a simple statement of no risk, this in spite of several presentations of self harm, the client herself stating she was out of control with urges to harm others, and recorded evidence of violence towards others (especially her boyfriend) which on two occasions during her contact with the service involved the police. The statements in the notes of ‘no immediate risk of harm to herself or others’ was not evidenced and contrary to the history.”

A number of recommendations are now being implemented. Patients of specialist mental health services will now be subject of a care programme with a care-co-ordinator and formal risk assessment. There will be single case notes and a review of the system which prioritises referrals.

Coulter could be free in seven months. In February 2003 the judge said she would be eligible for parole after two years and eight months.

Report
http://www.imhl.com/members/pdf_files/Coulter.pdf

Action plan
http://www.imhl.com/members/pdf_files/Coulteraction.pdf

Inquiries / Reviews: being sought or underway

Anthony Hardy

Ripper victim: I’ll sue for justice over attack, Hampstead and Highgate Express, 18th February 2005
A former masseuse who was raped and nearly killed by Camden Ripper Anthony Hardy is attempting to sue the Crown Prosecution Service. Tina Harvey was this week called to speak at the independent inquiry investigating the mental health care Hardy received before his killing spree in December 2002. After giving evidence at Portland House, in Victoria, on Wednesday Ms Harvey told the Ham&High the CPS has never taken her case seriously. Hardy, 53, made an appointment to visit Ms Harvey at her Northampton home on December 13, 2002. She said: "I was a professional masseuse and Hardy came to me for a professional massage. I did not offer him sex and he attacked me." She reported the attack in January 2003 after Hardy had been arrested for murders committed at his flat in College Place, Camden Town. Hardy has never been prosecuted for his attack on Ms Harvey, who recently launched campaign group Safety of Sexworkers UK. She said: "They didn't take it on because he has got three life sentences so why bother? Because I have been campaigning since 2001 to bring changes to the UK sex laws I personally believe that I have been denied my right to go back to court. I now have a new appeal in for legal aid to sue the CPS for not charging Hardy." She gave evidence at the inquiry along with Jackie Valad - the mother of Elizabeth Valad, one of Hardy's victims. Both women appeared at the High Court last month in a failed bid to get a public inquiry into the case.

Ms Harvey said: "My main question to them was why was Hardy released from St Luke's (mental health hospital in Muswell Hill)." Hardy was jailed for life in November 2003 after pleading guilty to the murders of Elizabeth Valad, Bridgette MacClennan and Sally White. He was originally sectioned in March 2002, shortly after the body of Miss White was found at his flat. Her death was initially treated as "natural causes" and Hardy was allowed to leave St Luke's in November 2003. Within a month he killed Miss Valad and Miss MacClennan, whose dismembered body parts were found in his flat and in bins near his home. The independent inquiry examining the services Hardy received from organisations including Camden Council and the Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust started in the summer. A CPS spokeswoman said: "This further allegation came to police after Anthony Hardy had been arrested for the murders. It was reviewed thoroughly but it was considered there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Anthony Hardy for that particular allegation." She said the decision had been reviewed by two independent counsel and the director of serious case work in London.

Camden Ripper victim takes fight to election, This is Local London, 6th March 2005
A surviving victim of the Camden Ripper' plans to stand in the general election in a desperate bid to get her case against the serial killer reopened. Tina Harvey, a former masseuse and mother-of-two, claims Anthony Hardy raped her and tried to kill her on December 13, 2002, at her Northampton flat, weeks after he was released from St Luke's, a psychiatric hospital in Muswell Hill. Hardy murdered two prostitutes and dumped their mutilated bodies near his Camden home two weeks later. He was jailed for life in November 2003 but Ms Harvey is still fighting for her case to be heard. The 40-year-old says the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped her case once Hardy pleaded guilty to murdering Elizabeth Valad, Bridgette MacClennan and Sally White. "Just because he has three life terms does not mean I am not entitled to my day in court," she said. "People have no idea of the nightmare I have been through. I deserve justice and funding to fight my case, but every avenue has been blocked." Police and the CPS have confirmed they investigated Hardy for three other rapes, including the case of Ms Harvey, but decided there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction. This week she expects to hear if her third bid for legal aid this time to sue the CPS for not charging Hardy has been successful.

Ms Harvey, a grandmother, hopes to stand against Tottenham MP David Lammy in the coming general election as a protest, because he is a Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Department for Constitutional Affairs, which is responsible for legal aid. Doctors released Hardy from St Luke's in November 2002 after judging that he posed no threat to the public. He had already murdered Sally White, whose death was wrongly put down to natural causes after her body was discovered in his flat in January 2002. At Hardy's sentencing in November 2003, the court heard that he was released from care despite warnings from psychiatrists and other health experts that he was a danger to women.
A North Central London Strategic Health Authority inquiry into the treatment received by Hardy leading up to the murders in December 2002 is expected to publish its findings shortly. Ms Harvey gave evidence to that inquiry last month. She plans to protest outside the psychiatric hospital in Woodside Avenue when the findings are announced.

‘Camden Ripper’ report out next month, Hampstead and Highgate Express, 10th March 2005
The date for the publication of a report into the treatment and care of triple killer Anthony Hardy will not be known until next month. The independent panel examining the case has finished gathering evidence and is currently compiling its findings. A spokesman for the North Central London Health Authority said: "They have finished evidence gathering and are compiling the report making sure everything is factually correct." Hardy was jailed in November 2003 after admitting to murdering and dismembering prostitutes Sally White, Elizabeth Valad and Bridgette MacClennan at his flat in College Place, Camden Town. In March 2002 he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act but was allowed to leave St Luke's Hospital, Muswell Hill, in November. Within weeks he had embarked on a killing spree.

‘My friend turned out to be Camden Ripper’, Hampstead and Highgate Express, 18th March 2005
A woman who befriended Camden Ripper Anthony Hardy in a mental health hospital believes she could have been his fourth victim. Sarah McGuinness, 52, who shared a ward with Hardy at St Luke's Hospital, in Muswell Hill, also claims she was not allowed to give evidence at the recent independent inquiry into his hideous crimes. Ms McGuinness had no idea the police had previously discovered a dead body in his Camden Town flat when she became friends with Hardy, who helped her research her family tree. She said: "I was basically overawed by him because of his size but I thought I must not be prejudiced. He was very helpful. After I left he wrote to me quite a lot and visited my flat. I didn't know about his history. I just thought he was an alcoholic. They didn't warn me or I wouldn't have gone anywhere near him." It was only after Hardy was allowed to leave the ward and went on a killing spree that Ms McGuinness became aware of the danger she had been in. "I was shocked when I found out about it," she said. "When he was on the run I was frightened that he might come round to my flat, but he didn't."
Two years on from Hardy's crimes and Ms McGuinness has only just received counselling. She is also still waiting to be re-housed from her flat in Baynes Street, Camden Town. She said living so near to Hardy's College Place Estate flat and just yards from the spot where the dismembered body of another murderer's victim, rabbi Andreas Hinz, was discovered, has left her traumatised.

Ms McGuinness, who has a history of mental health problems, wanted to speak at the recent independent inquiry about the treatment patients received at St Luke's, where she claims a male member of staff went on drinking binges with Hardy. She said: "I don't think they wanted to open a can of worms about community care. I wanted to speak but they wouldn't let me." A spokeswoman from the North Central London Strategic Health Authority, which commissioned the independent inquiry along with Camden Council, said: "Ms McGuinness wrote and offered written information before Christmas which the panel accepted. The panel acknowledged receipt and said they would take the information into account in the assembling of their report." A spokesman from the Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust, which runs St Luke's, said: "We categorically deny the allegations that a member of staff went on drinking binges with Hardy. He is not on the staff anymore but it has nothing to do with the Hardy case. His contract came to an end and that's that. He left just like other people do."

John Barrett

Hospital that let out killer has history of fatal errors, The Telegraph, 2nd March 2005
A psychiatric hospital that let out a violent schizophrenic who then stabbed a cyclist to death has a history of management failures which resulted in at least four other killings by patients, The Telegraph can disclose. John Barrett, 42, who pleaded guilty last week to the manslaughter of Denis Finnegan, 59, had been allowed out on "ground leave" by Springfield hospital in Tooting, south London, even though he had a record of mental illness and violence. He was told to return within an hour, but went to a DIY store, bought a set of kitchen knives and attacked Mr Finnegan as he rode his bicycle in Richmond Park, last September. Barrett was allowed out despite the fact that at least four other Springfield patients have killed people in the past 13 years.

The South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust, which runs the hospital, was criticised in an independent report published in 2000 for "serious management and systems failures", after one patient, Anthony Joseph, was set free and went on to kill Jenny Morrison, his social worker. Ms Morrison was not told by hospital authorities that Joseph, a paranoid schizophrenic who believed he was the son of God, had already threatened staff, had a conviction for carrying a knife and had a history of sleeping with a machete under his pillow. Nor was she informed that Joseph claimed to be plagued by "demons" and that he had said she would be "brave" to see him. As a result, she visited him alone in the hostel where he had been living since his release. Within minutes, he had stabbed her more than 100 times. When Joseph was discharged from Springfield hospital, he was given no written care plan, no risk assessment or systematic monitoring of his medication and no outpatient follow-up.

Other killings carried out by Springfield patients include that of Mamade Chattun, a nurse beaten to death by Jason Cann in 2003. Earlier this month, Cann was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The Trust's report into the incident is due to be published shortly. The killing took place on the day Cann was admitted, yet he was left alone and unobserved in the ward's lobby area, which should not have been used by patients, despite having attacked a social worker earlier and refusing to take his medication.
In 1993, Mark Ricketts stabbed Mark Kemp repeatedly in a Tube station, months after being released from Springfield. Mr Kemp, who had more than 20 stab wounds, survived only because the blade of the knife bent during the assault.
Two years earlier, John McCormack stabbed his father, Thomas, to death within minutes of running away from Springfield, where he was a voluntary patient. He was convicted of manslaughter and committed to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital indefinitely.
Tim Loughton, the shadow minister for mental health, said last night: "These incidents raise question marks as to the procedures being followed at Springfield hospital for people who clearly need treatment. My fear is that the liberty of people with serious mental illness is being driven by the lack of available services for them rather than their clinical need."

Ocean crime scene, icWales, 3rd March 2005
Ocean Colour Scene frontman Simon Fowler has talked for the first time about his encounter with killer John Barrett, who last month was convicted for the murder of ex-banker Denis Finnegan. Barrett, a former mental health patient, was arrested in Richmond Park in London on suspicion of murdering cyclist and retired banker Denis Finnegan on September 2 last year. That same day singer Simon was taking a break from recording the band's new album A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad and was walking his dog in the same park. Barrett had approached him and uttered the words "Stay lucky", before walking off. "Of course I was automatically uneasy at someone approaching me with such a weird comment," says Simon. "But it was only after I heard the news on the radio that it dawned on me this was possibly the person the police were looking for. I was in total shock when I realised. The whole incident has made me reflect on my life and I now realise how incredibly lucky I am to be with a band I love, with the support of fans. It's very humbling."

Care failings left schizophrenic free to kill cyclist, The Telegraph, 23rd March 2005
A paranoid schizophrenic released into the community without adequate care was jailed for life yesterday for killing a stranger as he cycled through a park. A requirement of John Barrett's release was that he saw a psychiatrist at least once a month. But, the Old Bailey heard, there were periods last year of 10 weeks, 13 weeks and 11 weeks when he was not assessed by a consultant. During that time his condition deteriorated, he took cannabis, which led to "psychotic episodes", and he heard voices telling him to kill. Barrett was sentenced for killing Denis Finnegan, a 50-year-old former banker, with a kitchen knife after ambushing him in Richmond Park, south-west London, last September. Judge Anthony Scott-Gall told Barrett, 41, he would serve more than 15 years before being considered for release. Barrett, once a promising singer until he succumbed to drugs, crime and mental illness, was taken from the court to Broadmoor. The judge told him: "This was a planned and unprovoked attack on a completely innocent member of the public."
Barrett, from Putney, south-west London, had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Finnegan, who had worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland, on the grounds of diminished responsibility. In mitigation, Merida Harford-Bell said if it had not been for "failings" by the mental health services Barrett might never have been free to kill. Between September 2002 and October 2003, he was in a secure unit at Springfield Hospital in Tooting after being convicted of a knife attack on two patients and a nurse at nearby St George's Hospital. He was conditionally discharged by a mental health review tribunal but after that "there were huge gaps between him seeing, in particular, his consultant or anyone medically qualified", Miss Harford-Bell said. During this time his partner, Jane Whittaker, became seriously worried about him. On Sept 1 last year, Barrett returned to Springfield as a voluntary patient but was given an hour's ground leave despite not even having been assessed by a consultant. He discharged himself and the police were called, although the risk Barrett posed was not "spelt out" to them, Miss Harford-Bell said. Mr Finnegan's brother, John, said: "I am appalled that there were people crying out to get help on his behalf and nothing was done." He said he was very disappointed that he had not had satisfactory answers after writing to Tony Blair.

James Smith

McConnell’s inquiry call on mentally ill patient who killed, The Herald, 15th March 2005
Jack McConnell last night called for an inquiry into the release, formally sanctioned by himself, of a psychiatric patient who went on to kill a man. James Smith, a conditionally discharged restricted patient, pleaded guilty at the High Court yesterday to culpable homicide on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was made subject to an interim hospital order to allow for further reports, and the case will return to court for sentencing on June 2.
Stuart Robertson, 37, the victim, also had a history of mental illness and was, briefly, a restricted patient himself.
His body was found on October 22 last year in a car park at the rear of Pollok House, in Pollok Park, Glasgow, where it had lain since the previous night.
Smith's release from secure accommodation had to be approved by the first minister, which was granted conditionally about 18 months before the killing. He had been in care from about 1997 to 2003.
Mr McConnell now wants the Mental Welfare Commission to review the handling of the case.
Smith's release would have been agreed only on the recommendation of the patient's client team, including the medical officer responsible and the executive's own psychiatric officer.
However, Mr McConnell's name would have been on the release order and high-profile killings by psychiatric patients can result in a serious political backlash, even though the majority of homicides are carried out by the clinically sane. A spokesman for the executive said: "The first minister has invited the Mental Welfare Commission to carry out an inquiry into whether all that could have been done to monitor the risk Mr Smith posed in the community was done, and to identify any lessons which might be learned for the care and treatment of other patients."

Judicial review, Your letters, The Herald, 18th March 2005
Mr McConnell has asked the Mental Welfare Commission to review the handling of the case of James Smith who killed a man while a restricted psychiatric patient on leave in the community (March 16). The role of the MWC is to exercise a general supervisory and protective function for psychiatric patients, especially those who are legally detained. While the commission does investigate complaints about treatment, it is not an organisation that can provide the level of review needed in this instance. The MWC is nominally independent but receives public funding, is administered by the Civil Service and has no powers to compel witnesses to give evidence. It has a loud bark but no bite.
The commission is not the proper authority for this investigation where the roles of the first minister and his medical advisers are to be scrutinised. I hope that the MWC declines to be involved and that the executive asks for a judicial review or commissions an assessment by an independent inquiry team that might include a QC and medical assessor with no executive, Civil Service or NHS connections.

Dr George Dodds, Bridge of Allan.

Peter Bryan

Psychotic killer was released against Home Office advice, The Times, 16th March 2005
Police officers were horrified to discover Peter Bryan calmly frying human brains on a stove with the dismembered body of his victim at his feet. Nearby was an open tub of Clover butter. “I ate his brain with butter. It was really nice,” Bryan, 35, told police. Later he was to tell officers: “I would have done someone else if you hadn’t come along. I wanted their souls. I used the Stanley knife to cut them off (his victim’s limbs) and some other kitchen knives but I had to stamp on them to break the bones.” Neighbours said that one officer sprinted out of the kitchen of the flat in Walthamstow, East London, and retched in the garden. He gasped to a colleague: “It’s horrible in there.” Bryan subsequently told a doctor that he also ate strips of his victim’s arm and a leg, “which tasted like chicken”. He admitted that as he attacked Brian Cherry, his victim, he had fantasised about having sex with him while he was alive and again after he was dead. These insights into the warped mind of Peter Bryan became public yesterday as the triple killer sat impassively in the dock at the Old Bailey. The short, squat man with a balding head was dressed in a black suit and blue tie. Four mental health workers and a dock officer were at his side.
Bryan, from Forest Gate, East London, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility of Mr Cherry, 47, and of Richard Loudwell, 50, whom he killed four months after attacking Mr Cherry while on remand in Broadmoor secure hospital. The court heard yesterday that there had been a history of mental illness in Bryan’s family. At the time he was first admitted to Broadmoor after killing Mr Cherry, his brother was also a patient there. Aftab Jafferjee, for the prosecution, said that Bryan had killed three people between 1993 and 2004, and had “literally developed an appetite for killing”.
His first victim was Nisha Sheth, 20, a student whom Bryan killed in a vicious claw-hammer attack in March 1993. He struck her several times on the head and continued to do so even after she lay dead. Bryan had been working at her father’s clothes shop in the Kings Road, Chelsea, and later claimed that she had wanted to die. He was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and sent to Rampton secure hospital. He was granted a conditional discharge in January 2002 and sent to a hostel where residents have their own front door and room key and could “come in and out as they wish”. After an allegation of an indecent assault on a 16-year-old girl, Bryan was sent back to hospital. But this time he was only an informal patient on an open ward at Newham General Hospital in East London. Just hours after being granted as much leave as he wanted, Bryan walked out and killed Mr Cherry, 45, whom he had met through a friend, who had known a friend of the victim. He initially claimed that the attack on Mr Cherry started out as a botched burglary. But during interviews with psychiatrists in Broadmoor, he said that eating body parts was part of a voodoo ritual he carried out to transfer the power of his victims to himself. He described the feeling as the “quickening”. Bryan also said that he had thought about killing his father because he was old and vulnerable. As that would leave his mother alone, he decided that he would have to kill both or neither.
One psychiatrist, a Dr Lock, who interviewed Bryan, concluded that he was “probably the most dangerous man he had ever assessed”. Mr Jafferjee told the court: “In the course of (one) interview the subject of the film The Silence of the Lambs was raised. The defendant said that that was not his style, in that he (Bryan) did not plan it. ‘It just happened’.” Bryan believed that human flesh was part of the “natural food chain” and described wanting to drink human blood as it was “full of protein”. Describing the attack on Mr Cherry, he said that the more he cut up the body, the more relaxed he felt.
Although he was considered a high risk to others when transferred to Broadmoor from Belmarsh prison, where he had been held after killing Mr Cherry, Bryan was kept in seclusion for just three days. After that he was put in a medium-secure room. On the day he killed Loudwell, Bryan was described as “happy, cheerful and laughing”. But later that evening he attempted to strangle Loudwell with a pyjama cord and then banged his head violently against the floor. Loudwell, from Gillingham, Kent, had pleaded guilty to killing an 82-year-old woman in her home and had been sent to the mental hospital to have his condition assessed. After the killing Bryan said that he had been thinking of killing Loudwell for some days and had wanted to eat him. He described him as the “oldest and weakest on the ward” and the “lowest on the food chain”.
David Etherington, QC, for the defence, said: “This defendant is the victim of a terrible illness and regrettably, we must submit, he is also the victim of a State unable to control it.” He said that Bryan should not have been in a position to carry out the killings. “We suggest he was let down,” he said. “He should have been kept in conditions of the highest security.”
Sentencing Bryan to two whole life terms, Judge Giles Forrester said that life would mean life and that he would never be released. He said: “Although substantially impaired, you do of course bear criminal responsibility. The seriousness of the offences is exceptionally high, even having regard to your illness.”

How he was freed to kill
4th October 1969 - Born
18th March 1993 - Kills Nisha Sheth, 20, in Chelsea
March 1994 - Pleads guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. Admitted to Rampton hospital
January 2002 - Mental Health Review Tribunal agrees to conditional discharge
August 2002 - Staff at Riverside Hostel in North London, where he is living, concerned about relationship with girl, 16
February 2004 - Accused of indecently assaulting girl. Transferred to Newham General Hospital and told he cannot leave
17th February 2004 - Social worker describes him as “happy and OK”. By 7pm he has killed Brian Cherry
March 2004 - “Extremely dangerous,” psychiatrist says after prison assault
April 2004 - Kills Richard Loudwell in Broadmoor

Bloody Blunder, Daily Mail, 17th March 2005
A string of errors that allowed cannibal killer Peter Bryan to roam free are to be investigated by three separate inquiries. One will want to know why nurses at Broadmoor hospital cleaned up the blood-stained monster after he had attacked patient Richard Loudwell. Bryan calmly told staff, who also put his bloody clothes in the laundry: "I have harmed myself." A nurse revealed: "He was extremely persuasive." Loudwell, 60, was found later, with a pyjama cord around his neck and serious head injuries. He died two months later.
Bryan, 35, was initially sent to Rampton secure hospital, Notts, in 1994 after he killed shop girl Nisha Sheth, 20. Seven years later he was transferred to a less secure unit in North London where he could come and go as he pleased. He was then moved to an open psychiatric ward in East London. During day leave he killed pal Brian Cherry, 47, who lived close by, sawed off his arms and left leg and fried and ate part of his brain. Bryan was sent to Broadmoor hospital, with a recommendation he be locked up in the most secure part. But he was put in medium security where he throttled killer Loudwell.
The first inquiry will examine the "care and treatment" of Loudwell until his admission to Broadmoor.
Another will concentrate on the treatment of Bryan and his contact with mental health experts before the killing of Mr Cherry.
The third will look at how Loudwell and Bryan came to be admitted to Broadmoor and their treatment there. The first report is expected within six months. A Broadmoor spokeswoman said: "We'll be looking very closely at what went wrong and make recommendations. We cannot comment further until the inquiry reports are published."
The three-part investigation is one of the biggest-ever into mental health services and will cost tens of thousands of pounds. An executive summary will be published once all three inquiries have reached their final conclusions.

Cannibal's social worker named, The Times, 17th March 2005
A social worker whose assessment of Peter Bryan helped to secure the release of the cannibal killer to strike twice again can be named today. Roland Silcott was convinced that the schizophrenic posed no further threat to the public and asked Home Office and mental health experts to free him. Mr Silcott, Bryan’s key social worker for 18 months, is employed by the East London and The City Mental Health NHS Trust, which declined to comment yesterday. It confirmed, though, that no disciplinary action is contemplated against Mr Silcott, who remains employed by the trust. Hours after Bryan, 35, was given as much leave as he wanted from the Newham Centre for Mental Health, he killed his friend Brian Cherry, 45, in February 2004 before cooking his brain in butter and eating it. Mr Silcott had written several letters to the Home Office saying that Bryan had recovered and was no longer a danger. The triple killer was undergoing assessment at Broadmoor secure mental hospital yesterday as demands for a full independent inquiry grew. Bryan, from Forest Gate, East London, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the ground of diminished responsibility. Sentencing him to two life sentences, Judge Giles Forrester told him he would never be released because he was too dangerous.
Three local health inquiry panels will report within the next 18 months on aspects of the case, the East London and The City Mental Health NHS Trust said.
This was dismissed as inadequate by Marjorie Wallace, the chief executive of the mental health charity SANE. Ms Wallace said the case showed that psychiatric services were being forced to take unacceptable risks with people’s lives. “There has been a trend in these so-called independent inquiries in order to avoid the culture of blame, not to make people accountable and to make very general observations,” she said. “We should like to see a full, independent inquiry to investigate all the circumstances into the care and treatment of this man.”
A three-member mental health tribunal, which met in secret, agreed in January 2002 to release Bryan from Rampton. The decision was against Home Office advice. The Department of Health refuses to name the High Court judge, consultant psychiatrist and social work manager who made the decision.
Michael Howlett, director of the Zito Trust mental health charity, called for an independent inquiry. He said the case showed that mental health services were struggling to cope with dangerous patients. Professor Louis Appleby, the National Director for Mental Health, denied yesterday that the case indicated problems with the system. He said he would ensure that all lessons were learnt and fed into the draft Mental Health Bill. The Government could amend the forthcoming Bill. It is considering whether the legislation needs to give greater emphasis to protecting the public, rather than the rights of individual patients. John Reid, the Health Secretary, and Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, discussed the issue yesterday. The Bill is going through the parliamentary legislative process and is due to be implemented in 2007.

Cannibal's life sentence 'no consolation to us', The Telegraph, 20th March 2005
The father of the first victim of Peter Bryan, the paranoid schizophrenic who murdered a man and ate his brain before killing a third person, spoke yesterday of his anger at the legal and mental health authorities for allowing the killer to be released. Mahendra Sheth, whose 20-year-old daughter, Nisha, was beaten to death by Bryan in 1993, said that he felt "numbed by resentment" towards the legal system. Bryan was made the subject of an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act for the killing, but was deemed to have improved enough to be discharged after eight years.
In February last year, Bryan, 36, went to the flat of a friend, Brian Cherry, 43, and killed him with a claw hammer, dismembered him and ate part of his brain. Two months later, while at Broadmoor, he beat and strangled Richard Loudwell, 60, a fellow inmate who was also on remand for murder. Bryan said that if he had not been interrupted, he would have eaten Loudwell. A doctor at Broadmoor later described Bryan as "the most dangerous patient I have ever seen". Bryan was sentenced last week to life imprisonment for the killings.
Mr Sheth, 60, from Harrow, north London, said that it had been obvious since 1993 that Bryan should have been locked up for good after killing his daughter. "His life sentences now are no consolation for myself and my family and the pain we have been through," said Mr Sheth, who last week marked the 12th anniversary of his daughter's death. Bryan had worked at the Sheth family's clothing business in Chelsea, south-west London, but was dismissed by Mr Sheth for harassing his daughter. Bryan returned to the shop on the Kings Road, and beat Miss Sheth to death with a claw hammer. He also seriously injured her 12-year-old brother, Bobby, as he tried to defend his sister. Bryan later threw himself from his flat in Battersea but survived with broken legs. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sent to the high-security Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire, under the Mental Health Act. "Nisha was our angel but we lost her in the most appalling way," said Mr Sheth. "After her death, we were told that Mr Bryan would be behind bars indefinitely, but he was released after less than eight years. How could the authorities even think about releasing such a mad killer?"
Mr Sheth said that the authorities had been too lenient with Bryan in the past. "Until an 'indefinite' sentence really means what it says, people like Mr Bryan will be free to wander the streets and kill innocent victims," he said.
Sentencing Bryan last week Judge Giles Forrester said he would remain in custody for the rest of his natural life.
But Mr Sheth said he doubted that Bryan's two life sentences would keep him in prison for good. "He will fool the authorities into believing that he is sane, just like he did after killing my daughter." Bryan was released from Rampton in 2002 after applying to a mental health tribunal, but was later admitted to the Newham Centre for Mental Health in east London. He was kept there as an informal patient and was free to leave the hospital whenever he wished. During his treatment at Newham, Roland Silcott, Bryan's social worker for the 18 months leading up to the killings of Mr Cherry and Mr Loudwell, told government officials that he should be released from the centre.
In a letter to the Home Office, Mr Silcott said that Bryan had made a full recovery and posed no further threat to the public.
The East London and City Mental Health Trust, which was responsible for Bryan's care, has set up an independent inquiry into why he was allowed back into the community. Mental health campaigners have also called for an overhaul of the care system. Michael Howlett, the director of the Zito Trust, an independent mental health watchdog, said that Bryan's case was one of the most serious breakdowns of care to occur in Britain. "It is an appalling case and is another example of somebody who has been into a high-security hospital, is discharged with conditions and has gone on to kill," he said. "The mental health services have consistently failed to prevent homicides and serious attacks by people who are already known to have a history of violence."

When will they ever learn?, The Telegraph, 20th March 2005
'Cannibal killer' Peter Bryan was deemed safe just hours before he struck for the second time. The psychiatric services have had similar cases in recent years, yet still they make the same mistakes. 'No one in mental health is complacent," insists Professor Louis Appleby, who is national director for the NHS's Mental Health services. "We want to learn the lessons of this case." One lesson that has evidently not so far been learned by those working in mental health is this: it is not a very good idea to free someone "into the community" who has a known predisposition to homicidal violence and who has killed before.
Peter Bryan, who was sentenced last week to life imprisonment for two murders he committed while under the care of psychiatrists and mental health workers, illustrates it with horrifying clarity. Bryan was allowed sufficient freedom by psychiatrists, social workers and the Home Office to kill not just once more but twice more. Bryan first came to the attention of the psychiatrist service in 1993, after he walked into a shop in Chelsea and attacked 20-year-old Nisha Sheth with a claw hammer. Bryan battered the shop assistant so violently that she died. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and ordered to be detained indefinitely. By 2002, a Mental Health Review Tribunal had decided he was safe to be released from hospital. He was moved to a hostel in north London from which he could come and go as he pleased. Over the next year, he threatened staff and other residents at the hostel. Nonetheless, his social worker wrote to the Home Office that he was making "good progress" and "does not present any major risks". On the morning of February 17, 2004, there was an hour-long meeting to review Bryan's condition. He was described as "calm and jovial" and there were "no concerns regarding his mental state".
Later that same day Bryan went out and bought a claw hammer and a screwdriver from a hardware store. He then went to visit his friend Brian Cherry. He battered Mr Cherry to death with the hammer, sawed off both his arms and left leg, scooped Mr Cherry's brains from his skull and proceeded to fry them in butter before eating them
Bryan was arrested, covered in blood, when police, alerted by neighbours, visited the flat. The police doctor who examined Peter Bryan said his mental condition "did not necessitate an urgent transfer to hospital". He was remanded to Belmarsh Prison, where he assaulted staff and behaved "unpredictably".
He was diagnosed as mentally ill and sent to Broadmoor on April 15, 2004. After only three days, he was placed in a medium-security ward, where he was left alone with other patients. Within a week, he had murdered one of them: Richard Lourdwell. When asked why he had done it, Bryan said: "I wanted to kill and eat him. Cannibalism is natural… If I was on the street, I'd go for someone bigger for a challenge."
An inquiry into the circumstances that led to Bryan's two most recent homicides has been announced. Prof Appleby's insistence that psychiatrists "are not complacent" might be understandable if the kind of blunders that led to Bryan being released into the community were unprecedented.
Unfortunately, they are not - as is shown by the inquiries that have been held into the many previous killings by mentally ill patients who had been convicted of assault and even murder, yet were still released "into the community".

More than a decade ago, Jonathan Zito was stabbed to death by Christopher -Clunis while waiting for a train at Finsbury Park. The report into the events that led up to that murder revealed that Clunis had been under the care of psychiatrists for more than 10 years. He had stabbed at least two people, and attacked several others, before he killed Mr Zito. The inquiry found, however, that "time and again violent incidents were either minimised or omitted from records, or referred to in the most general of terms in discharge summaries". The inquiry discovered that Clunis had been seen by 43 different psychiatrists in four years. Not one of them had had a full and accurate copy of Clunis's medical and criminal records. They were taking decisions about whether he was safe to remain "in the community" on the basis of inaccurate information.
The report into Clunis identified a string of additional failures by the mental health professionals involved in his care. These included: a failure to "achieve proper communication and liaison"; a failure to "assess Clunis's past history of violence and … his propensity for violence"; a failure to "manage provision of health and social services"; and "a failure to note and act upon warning signs and symptoms to prevent a relapse" when a patient is living in the community. But, the report said, no one was to blame.
The reaction of the psychiatric profession to the Clunis Report was very like Prof Appleby's reaction to Peter Bryan last week: it was to insist that "we are not complacent" and "we will learn the lessons". The lessons, however, have not been learned. That is clear from the reports published in the decade since the Clunis Report: they have each identified the same failings in the system - failings that are then found to have been repeated all over again when the next report is published into the next killing by a mentally ill man with a history of violence who has been released "into the community".

Take, for example, the case of Winston Williams. Williams was a diagnosed schizophrenic who was known to aggravate his condition by habitual drug use. He was sent to Broadmoor in 1979 for stabbing two people in London and for telling a 13-year-old boy that he was going to kill him. Twelve years later, Williams was thought safe to release. He had to be readmitted to secure care because he threatened to kill his social worker and refused to take the medication that controlled his symptoms. He was, however, soon thought to be safe to release again. The results were fatal for Katie Kasmi, a 25-year-old woman whom Williams stabbed 77 times on February 19, 1999. What did the inquiry into Williams's care find? Almost identical failings to those identified in the Clunis report. His file did not contain a complete set of his records. His record of violence was minimised and he came to be treated as "a minimal risk and socially stable", rather than the violent, substance-abusing man that he was. There was a failure of communication and liaison between the agencies. There was a failure to monitor his care "in the community". But, the report said, no one was to blame.

The Williams Report, which was published in 2002, had followed hard on the heels of the report into Richard Gray, which was published in 2001. Gray strangled Virginia Sivil while she was in the first stages of labour with their third child (the child died as well). Gray had previous convictions for rape and drug abuse. He had been admitted to, and discharged from, psychiatric hospitals 13 times before he killed Ms Sivil. In the four months before the killing, Gray had repeatedly told his community psychiatric nurse that he wanted to kill Ms Sivil, their two children and his parents. The psychiatric nurse, however, did not inform Ms Sivil, nor her parents, nor any psychiatrist or mental health worker about those threats. The report identified the usual errors: a failure to keep accurate records; a failure of communication between different agencies; a tendency to minimise Gray's violent past; a failure to monitor him carefully "in the community". But, it said, no one was to blame.

Then there is the report, published four months ago, into Paul Khan, who killed 72-year-old Brian Dodd in an unprovoked attack in 2003. Khan had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and he was a known drug user. He had a history of violence: he had carried out a vicious and violent knife attack in 1996, for which he had been admitted to Ashworth Maximum Security Hospital in Merseyside. In 2000, however, he was deemed suitable by a Mental Health Tribunal for "independent living in the community". When he went off to stab Mr Dodd to death, Khan's care workers - who were supposed to ascertain his whereabouts every 12 hours - either didn't notice or didn't care: it was left up to his parents to report him missing. Guess what the report into Khan's killing of Brian Dodd found? Correct: there had been a failure to keep accurate records; a failure to monitor him after he was released in to the community; a failure to monitor his drug abuse; and a failure of co-ordination between the various agencies responsible for him. But no one was to blame.

We can expect the same litany to be repeated when there is report into John Barrett's killing of Denis Finnegan, which took place in September 2004. Barrett, who will be sentenced for that killing next Tuesday, had a history of violence. He had spent 18 months in a secure unit after stabbing two patients and a nurse at an out-patient clinic. He was released, but his girlfriend noticed that his condition was deteriorating and alerted his psychiatrist. He was assessed, and deemed safe to be allowed to walk away unescorted. He then left Springfield Hospital in south London, bought a set of knives from a DIY shop and went to Richmond Park, where he stabbed Mr Finnegan to death. We can be sure that the report won't blame anyone for that either.

These are by no means all of the instances of killings by men known to be insane, and to have a record of violence, but who have been deemed "safe to live in the community" - or of the reports into how the decisions to release them were made. (There have been at least six such reports in the past 10 years.)

Psychiatrists often claim that they are not to blame because their patient's "violence could not be predicted". Professor Paul Mullen, an Australian psychiatrist, says that is just wrong: it often can be predicted. "There are some very strong, and very obvious indicators: if the patient is male, has a history of previous violent attacks, doesn't take his medication, and abuses drugs, then it is pretty likely that he will do something violent again." Those are precisely the indicators that have often been missed or ignored in recent cases where mentally ill people have been released "into the community" only to kill someone. The consistent failure of the psychiatric profession to absorb the lessons of the failures documented over and over again in the official reports makes it hard to believe that those lessons ever will be learned.

Perhaps the truth is that they do not want to learn those lessons. "Every system for assessing people will involve mistakes," explains Dr Anthony Daniels, a psychiatrist who has worked in prisons and frequently assesses the threat a mentally ill individual poses. "There is only one way to prevent released mental patients with a previous history of violence from killing people and that is to have a rule that says if you are mentally ill and you murder someone, or seriously assault them, you will not ever be released. That rule would inevitably be very harsh, indeed cruel, to the many mentally ill people who have committed homicide or very serious assault once, but would not do so again, because their condition is controlled. But it would ensure that a man such as Peter Bryan could not kill more than once."

Many psychiatrists who defend the present policy of releasing patients with a history of violence back into the community seem to do so on the basis that the deaths they cause are an acceptable price for not detaining mentally ill people in secure institutions. It is better, in their minds, that some people should be murdered occasionally, than that hundreds of mentally ill patients be permanently locked up. An open, public debate on that issue urgently needs to be held. But until it is honestly recognised that those are the options, and until we stop pretending that the present system can be improved to the point where the lessons are learned and dangerous patients are not released "into the community" to kill, it will be impossible to have that debate. Which means that we can expect fresh killings, fresh reports which identify the same old failings - and more psychiatrists repeating over the airwaves that "We are not complacent … we want to learn the lessons."

Inquiry after schizophrenic dies of heart attack, Leigh Today, 18th March 2005
Staff at Leigh Infirmary psychiatric unit tried in vain to revive a 41-year-old patient when he had a heart attack while they were attempting to restrain him. Health chiefs have launched a probe into the tragedy which happened at the hospital on Saturday and have been in contact with the patient's family. But the family of Mark Warriner of Stockbridge Village, say they have a lot of questions needing answers. His mum, Mrs June Warriner said: "The first we heard was on Sunday when we got a phone call to say Mark had suffered a heart attack, and I just couldn't believe it because he was as strong as an ox and had no history of a heart complaint." Mr Warriner, who had a history of schizophrenia, had admitted himself to the hospital voluntarily, but then became animated and anxious and it was felt he needed to be restrained either for his or other people's protection. A spokesman from the Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust, which handles psychiatric services at Leigh Infirmary, said: "Events such as this are very rare within our services and we are naturally upset by this incident. We are offering all the support we can to the family members and our staff. Our staff reacted rapidly and appropriately, providing immediate medical attention." The coroner has been informed and the death will eventually be the subject of an inquest. Mrs Warriner, added: "We can't believe what has happened and are in shock. We don't know what has gone on, and there are a lot of questions we want answered. Mark was a big softy and was never aggressive. He enjoyed swimming and loved his clothes. He used to organise trips for other mentally ill people." Mark had been well for four years, but the week before he died, he was feeling depressed. He was under the care of Whiston Hospital, but was sent to Leigh Infirmary on Sunday, March 6, because Whiston could not take him.

Danger patient pleaded for help, Sheffield Today, 24th March 2005
A Sheffield grandmother died in an arson blaze because a paranoid schizophrenic did not receive the correct treatment. Abdirisak Hussein started a blaze which killed Amina Ali just hours after pleading for help from a social worker in the street. Sheffield Crown Court was told Hussein had not received any psychiatric supervision for six months before the death, despite making public death threats. The court was also told if Hussein had been given the correct anti-psychotic medication he would not have killed. Somali refugee Hussein killed Mrs Ali last February in a deliberate blaze at her Sharrow home on Mount Street. The brave Somali woman, aged 56, died from smoke inhalation in the council flat inferno after throwing two of her grandchildren 50 feet to safety. Her grandson was caught by passing pedestrian Ndeka Lufuluabo but his six-year-old sister fell to the ground, suffering horrific head injuries. She has since made a full recovery, and Mrs Ali's husband Mijir Mohamoud survived by climbing out of a window and clinging to a ledge.
Mr Justice Andrew Smith said: "The terrible nature of this offence can hardly be stated. Amina Ali put the lives of her grandchildren first, and mercifully she saved them." Hussein, who lived "just a stone's throw" from his victims on Cliff Street, Sharrow, denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He also admitted arson with intent and was sentenced to indefinite detention in a hospital under the Mental Health Act. Jeremy Baker QC, defending, said: "His mental illness was entirely treatable to the extent he would have been safe in the community if he had taken the correct medication."
Jeremy Richardson QC, prosecuting, said Hussein was suffering from "dangerous paranoid delusions" following his release into the community from a psychiatric facility. The 37-year-old, who is a member of the Somali tribe, had become fixated with Mr Mohamoud and had repeatedly threatened to kill him. On occasions he had spat in his face, claiming he was gay and a member of the Ethiopian secret service. The court heard that a social worker had become so worried about his behaviour he expressed concern to his colleagues. Hussein was obsessed with Mr Mohamoud, aged 61, because he was a member of the Black Adam Tribe, an African clan that Hussein hated.
Witnesses saw Hussein throw a chair at him in Sunnybank Community Centre in Broomhall and say: "I am going to kill a member of the Black Adam Tribe."
On the day he torched the maisonette, Hussein was seen wandering around Sharrow with a plastic petrol container.
The court heard at one point he approached Joseph Jones, a team manager for Sheffield Council Social Services, outside Hanover Medical Centre. Mr Richardson told the court: "He asked for help and was reassured that he would get some." But already earlier that day, Hussein had poured petrol into Amina Ali's hallway. A relative called the police who advised them to contact South Yorkshire Fire Service, and 56-year-old Amina Ali simply cleared up the mess. Within hours, Hussein returned, poured more petrol through the door and lit a match.
Kevan Taylor, Chief Executive of Sheffield Care Trust, and Cath Roff, Sheffield City Council's Acting Executive Director of Social Services, said in a joint statement: "This was a very tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathy remain with the family and friends of Amina Ali. Mr Hussein did have contact with our services over a period of time including between June 2003 and February 2004. Sheffield Care Trust and other agencies involved have looked carefully at the processes involved so that any appropriate action can be taken."

Prison 'let down' suicide inmate, BBC News, 2nd March 2005
A vulnerable inmate who committed suicide behind bars was let down by the Prison Service, a jury has ruled. After a five-week inquest, jurors found a series of failures contributed to the death of police informant Paul Day. The 31-year-old from Southend on Sea, Essex, was found hanged in HMP Frankland, Durham, in October 2002. The hearing at Chester-le-Street magistrates heard the convicted robber was bullied by other prisoners but staff failed to do enough to stop it. The Coroner Andrew Tweddle said he would be passing the inquest's findings on to the prison authorities. The Governor of Frankland Phil Copple expressed his condolences to the family and said an internal investigation had highlighted "procedural shortcomings" which had been addressed.
The hearing heard how Mr Day, who was serving an eight-year sentence, was supposed to be closely observed because it was known he wanted to harm himself. Before being moved to Frankland Prison he had been at Wandsworth Prison and on one occasion prison officers had urged him to jump from a high gantry, the inquest heard. The hearing also heard how Mr Day had told a prison chaplain he worked on robberies with corrupt Flying Squad officers and was targeted for abuse from fellow inmates. He protested about his treatment and was sent 300 miles from his native South East to Frankland which he thought was a witness protection unit. The jury found he had been misled and decided he had committed suicide. The inquest jury foreman said: "We believe the effect on Paul was that he felt abandoned, frustrated, depressed, helpless and defeated. He also lost any trust in the system and in his carers."

Suicide driver escapes jail term, BBC News, 8th March 2005
A man who tried to commit suicide by driving head on into a van after being kept awake by fireworks the night before has escaped a jail sentence. John Babbage, 61, drove his Nissan Micra into Andrew Petchey's Citroen van on the A37 near Yeovil, Somerset, in November 2004. Mr Babbage, from Yeovil, was given a nine-month suspended sentence at Taunton Crown Court. He was also banned from driving for a year by the court. Passing sentence, Judge Stephen O'Malley, said: "This is obviously a sad case. You attempted to take your own life in a way that endangered the lives of others. Your driving was dangerous and intentionally so. It was merciful that no one was injured. You deliberately created a dangerous situation where injuries could have happened."
Lawrence Wilcox, prosecuting, said on the day of the accident Mr Babbage's car drifted in the path of Mr Petchey's van. "Mr Babbage's vehicle hit the rear side of the van which swerved into oncoming traffic." Mr Petchey suffered slight injuries in the crash. Afterwards, Mr Babbage told the paramedics: "I tried to find the biggest vehicle I could drive into so I could commit suicide." Alan Large defending, said: "It was merciful that the driver of the other vehicle was not hurt. The consequences could have been catastrophic. Mr Babbage realises it was an awful thing to do." Mr Babbage's sentence was suspended over a two year period.

Suicide GP was 'under pressure', BBC News, 10th March 2005
A village doctor killed himself after being put under pressure to cut the number of patients he referred to hospital, an inquest has heard. Dr Stephen Farley, of Ibstock House Surgery, Ibstock, Leics, was found hanged in January 2004. Charnwood and North West Leics Primary Care Trust investigated Dr Farley, 55, for sending too many of his patients to see hospital specialists. North Leics coroner Trevor Kirkman recorded a verdict of suicide. "This death clearly should not have happened," Mr Kirkman said. The inquest at Loughborough Magistrates Court on Thursday heard that Dr Farley had found the investigation "extremely stressful", causing him to take time off work and see a psychiatrist. In a statement read out in court, the GP's widow, Marion Farley, said her husband had been referring more patients to hospital than other doctors because he was very popular. She said: "My husband was contacted by health authority bosses and questions were asked of my husband of the number of referrals, but this was because patients would wait and wait to see him." Concerns were first raised with Dr Farley over the frequency of hospital referrals in 2000. Letters were sent to Dr Farley requesting that he be retrained. An earlier independent health panel said Dr Farley "took on a very challenging workload, motivated by his desire to serve the local community". But that investigation ruled the Charnwood and North Leicestershire Primary Care Trust had been right to raise questions about the number of his hospital referrals.

Suicide risk 'lowest since 1973', BBC News, 10th March 2005
Adult suicide rates are the lowest they have been for 30 years, according to new government figures. The Office for National Statistics said there were 5,755 suicides in the UK in 2003, the lowest number since 1973. The highest rates were in the North West and North East of England and in Wales, with the highest rate for men being in Blackpool, Lancashire. The highest rate for women was recorded in the North West and the lowest in the East of England. The rate in Blackpool between 2000 and 2003 was more than twice the national average, with 39.1 deaths recorded per 100,000 population. Blackpool has also been identified as having the highest teenage pregnancy rate, and the highest number of alcohol-related deaths among men. For women, the highest individual rates were in Camden, London, and in Conwy, north Wales, at 13.8 and 13.6 deaths per 100,000 population respectively. Suicide rates for men rose steadily throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but the rates have dropped since 1998.
The national director for mental health, Professor Louis Appleby, said: "Today's figures are welcome confirmation of the improvements that we know are happening nationally to reduce suicide rates. Young male suicides remain our biggest challenge, though they are beginning to show signs of reduction. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy highlights young male suicides as one of its priorities and we will continue to work towards reducing the number of suicides further."
Health Minister Rosie Winterton welcomed the figures. "I'm extremely encouraged by these figures," she said. "The sustained downward trend shows that our National Suicide Prevention Strategy is having an effect."
Marjorie Wallace, Chief Executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: "We welcome the reduction in the overall number of adult suicides shown in these figures. However, the rate is still unacceptably high, especially amongst young men and mentally ill people in prison. There is also disturbing evidence, shown in research carried out by SANE and others, that the numbers of those who self-harm is growing, and that they are doing so in increasingly damaging ways."

Press release
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/suicide0305.pdf

Full report (Excel)
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/Suicides_2000_2003.xls

Second worst female suicide spot in Britain, Daily Post, 11th March 2005
More women commit suicide in Conwy than anywhere else in the UK other than Camden in London, figures revealed yesterday. The county has more than twice the British average for suicides among women aged 15 and over. In 2003 Conwy saw 13.6 deaths per 100,000 population, compared with the UK average for women of 5.8 per 100,000. The combined rate of suicides among men and women in Conwy was 19.3 per 100,000, the fifth highest in the UK. Ruth Coombs, policy manager for MIND Cymru, said preventing suicide should be a key focus in mental health service standards. In England, there is a national suicide strategy, while in Wales guidelines are part of the NHS framework. She said: "We would want the Assembly government to implement the key actions within the national service framework for suicide and we would look for evidence these key actions are being implemented." A Welsh Assembly government spokeswoman said yesterday: "Suicide prevention is a priority for services. It should be addressed by delivering high quality and responsive evidence based care using relevant NICE guidelines and the recommendations of the national confidential inquiry into homicide and suicides, Safety First. England and Wales does have one of the lowest suicide rates in the world and we will continue to work at reducing this through our national service framework and through implementing strategies promoting social inclusion. We are also working closely in partnership with the national public health service to look at how this issue can be taken forward in Wales."

Coroner-based investigation of specific methods of suicide, National Institute of Mental Health in England, 18th March 2005
Reducing availability and lethality of methods of suicide is a key goal in the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England (2002). In order to determine how this might best be effected, and also how the danger of specific methods might be reduced, including through improved treatment following suicidal acts, it is necessary to have detailed information on suicides in which these methods have been used. This study was established in order to achieve this aim in relation to certain specific methods of suicide, namely:
Hanging
Firearms
Co-proxamol poisoning
Self-poisoning in which the individual reached hospital alive

The study was conducted by examining coroners’ records of suicides in which these methods were used. Eight coroners’ jurisdictions within reasonable travelling distance of each of the three research centres were randomly selected (i.e. 24 in all). The cases included in the study were those receiving a coroner’s verdict of suicide, or an open verdict in which the research team judged there to have been a high or moderate probability of suicide.

Structured data-extraction forms were used to record the following broad areas of information (detailed items were used within each area): demographic characteristics of the deceased, circumstances of the act (method, timing, location, discovery), toxicology (alcohol and blood levels), contact with psychiatric services and general practitioner, and previous self-harm. Part of the Beck Suicide Intent Scale, based on the objective circumstances of the act, was also completed. More detailed information on each specific method under investigation was recorded on additional sections of the forms. For each case a brief vignette was compiled, including any other relevant details from the inquest records. In addition, for each method of suicide, selective literature reviews were conducted to provide both background information for the empirical studies and to supplement the conclusions.
A further aim of the study was to determine the extent to which coroners’ records are a satisfactory source of information for studies of this kind. The study was conducted through a collaboration involving centres in Oxford (Keith Hawton, Lesley Sutton, Sue Simkin, Camilla Haw), Bristol (David Gunnell and Olive Bennewith) and Manchester (Navneet Kapur and Pauline Turnbull). It was co-ordinated by the Centre for Suicide Research in Oxford.

Executive Summary
http://www.imhl.com/members/word_docs/Coroners.doc

Hospital withheld patients' food, BBC News, 21st March 2005
A coroner has ruled food and drink was deliberately withdrawn from patients at a Derby hospital in the 1990s. But the inquest into the deaths of 11 elderly men at the Kingsway Hospital ruled that all died of natural causes. Deputy Coroner Sir Richard Rougier said there had been "an unhappy atmosphere" in the ward where the men died. But he added there were too many uncertainties to say the policy of withholding food - for fear of choking - contributed to their deaths. Mr Rougier, however, criticised the management in his ruling and said doctors had left decisions about the treatment of patients to nursing staff. The inquest heard all 11 were in the terminal stages of senile dementia and died from bronchial pneumonia between 1995 and 1997. The inquest at Derby's Pride Park heard it was common for severe dementia patients not to be given food and drink.
Chris Gawne, a solicitor for some of the families in the case, said after the verdict: "The families are relieved that the inquests have now come to a conclusion and are confident that the causes of these patient's deaths have been properly and rigorously examined. The families can take comfort in the fact that their loved ones died solely
because they reached the end of their natural lives."
A consultant psychiatrist had told the inquest earlier that not feeding patients could be in their "best interests". Dr Maureen Royston said many patients with dementia suffered eating difficulties or a lack of interest in food, which can lead to choking or pneumonia. "I have been involved in that scenario where it became quite clear that a patient cannot swallow anything safely and the best interests of that patient would be not to continue and not to put them through what must be an unpleasant experience," she told the inquest. A police investigation launched in 1997 led to the suspension of three hospital workers but no-one was charged. Sir Richard Rougier, a retired High Court judge, was appointed as a deputy coroner to handle the case as it was expected to last several months. A witness said staff had drawn up a so-called "death list" of patients they thought had died before they should have, the inquest heard. The 18-bed ward for elderly male patients suffering long-term illness closed in 2001.

Coroner criticises mental unit after patient is found hanged, icSouthLondon, 25th March 2005
A Coroner has criticised staff at a mental unit after a patient was found hanged. Dr Roy Palmer said nurses should have shown a greater sense of urgency when they discovered they could not get into patient Mark Viccary's room at the Selhurst Hostel, in Selhurst Road, South Norwood. He also queried why it was left to the following day before the door of his top-floor room was forced open. The inquest at Croydon last Thursday heard that Mr Viccary, 30, was found hanging inside. An open verdict was recorded after the coroner ruled there was not sufficient evidence to justify a suicide finding. Mr Viccary, an unemployed software designer, of Cloister Gardens, Woodside Green, had been admitted a number of times to the Bethlem Hospital, in Beckenham, because of depression. He was transferred to Selhurst, an offshoot of the hospital, where there are nurses and carers, but no doctors. He was there as an informal patient, explained staff nurse Oliver Aidoo. A nurse told Mr Aidoo on the afternoon of July 13 that he could not get into Mr Viccary's room. The works department at Bethlem was then asked to get access, which they did the following morning. Mr Viccary was discovered dead, with a ligature around his neck, and the other end tied to the door handle. Hostel manager, Julius Oni, said he used a master key on that night, after learning that there was no response to calls made to Mr Viccary, but could not get it to operate properly. He said the lock seemed to be faulty. The coroner said staff ought to think of future changes that could be made in similar situations. Dr Palmer said: "The hostel will no doubt review their policy about getting access to rooms. There is always a balance to be struck. This is supposed to be a free country."

Excerpts reproduced with kind permission of The Institue of Mental Health Law. For further information about membership go to www.imhl.co.uk

GETTING SANE WITH THE CAMPAIGN

2007-07-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Getting Sane With The Campaign

Marshmallow | 03.08.2006 07:52 href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/" title="((i)) London Independent Media Centre.">London

News of New Protest Camp in Westminster

Campaigner Mark Kemp and other homeless folk have recently occupied some land in Victoria. The exact location is given below*. Mark runs the Independent Victims Helpline, and is operating the space for independent victims support, but also, given it's proximity to the Westminster Exclusion Zone, the Department for Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Westminster City Council, also for protest and banner making.

Mark is campaigning for equal right of notification on release for victims of violent crime. Under the 2005 Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act, victims of violent attacks enjoy the right to be notified by the authorities if their original assailant is released or escaped. Victims need to know this so that they can be sure an individual isn't released into their own community. But under the terms of the legislation, the right only applies to victims of attacks that took place after July 2005, which means that the vast majority of victims are not protected equally.

Mark knows about this from his own life experience: having been the victim of a horrible knife attack by an escaped mental patient in the early 90s. The attacker was placed in Broadmoor mental hospital, but he and his family were later horrified to find out through [via the tabloids] that his assailant had escaped and was potentially at large in the present area. Thankfully the assailant was captured six days after his escape, but subsequent to this the authorities managed to mix Mark [who is white] up with his attacker [who is black] and generally make his life hell. He has been independently campaiging for victims for a number of years, but since the 2005 Act has turned his attention to ensuring the law is changed: he wants to ensure that the protection contained in the Act applies retrospectively to ALL victims of violent attacks, and not just those that were assailed after July 2005.

Mark is also campaigning in solidarity with others against the ban on free protests within Westminster, and intend to continue to protest, and support other protestors, within the Exclusion Zone. Come along and join us before your actions!

Such as the one seen. when I handcuffed myself to the railings of 10 Downing St in a recent action, much to the confusion of the cops. On the day, they attempted to arrest someone else for my SO-CALLED "crime" but ]we bamboozled them with our strategy of jointly doing autonomous actions..

they want everyone else to be accountable, identifiable sanitizable but them, everyone made accountable but force of capital.

Blair should be impeached, tried, better still sectioned under Mental Health legislation!

This action has come about because Mark has become determined to turn the many bad things that have happened to him, as a result of being a victim of violent crime, and then, later, a victim of the state's incompetence and prejudice, into something good, and noble, and for the people.

"sense subposted to be common "

Everyone is very welcome to come and visit the camp.

*The Protest Camp is located between Victoria Street and Seaforth Place, SW1, located behind the main Westminster City Council building and also the Department for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, on Victoria St - behind Sainsburys and near the Albert pub.

Marshmallow

Additions

Comments on Pictures

03.08.2006 09:26

TheMagna Carta Action: Call for a New, Inclusive, Revolutionary Constitution

Mark Kemp being questioned by the coppers after handcuffing

Headless Copper with Mark's Campaign Placard: Equal Rights for All Victims!

Mark and Bike Cop

Mark Kemp's Independent Victims' Helpline ID

Cop Confused and Accusing the Wrong Guy

Some Photographs of the action mentioned. On June 15th 2006, after the 30+ mile march from Runnymede, one activist - in a Tony Blair mask - burned the Magna Carta and called for a new written constitution in front of a French school class [pictured] outside Downing Street, while at the same time Mark Kemp handcuffed himself to the railings of 10 Downing Street, much to the confusion of the cops, who later attempted to arrest the Magna Carta burning activist for the crime of handcuffing to the railings. The cops were mostly confused by the fact that the two autonomous actions were carried out simultaneously, but also because the activists were in possession of police handcuffs.. lessons for future anti-SOCPA actions. Photos of the protest camp to follow: viva la Revolucion!!

Marshmallow
Homepage: http://www.peopleincommon.org

THANK YOU VERY MUCH MARK

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Londons Air Ambluance Appeals

2007-07-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

8001FV July 2006

LONDON AIR AMBULANCE LAUNCHES

FRESH APPEAL FOR VITAL FUNDS

London’s Air Ambulance (LAA) today launches a fresh appeal for funds to keep this crucial emergency service in the air.

A familiar sight in the London sky, the LAA has flown over 17,000 missions since it was founded in 1989 and is London’s only air ambulance service. Based at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, it was set up to deal with major trauma incidents that need to be treated immediately at the scene.

The LAA has been involved in all major incidents in the capital over the past few years, including the train crashes at Cannon Street, Southall and Paddington, the Soho Bomb and the terrorist attacks on London’s transport system on July 7^th 2005, when it carried out 26 missions and helped treat many people on the ground.

The LAA prides itself on the speed and efficiency of the service and takes no more than 15 minutes to reach any accident within the M25 orbital, bringing a Trauma Doctor, a Paramedic and vital surgical equipment to the scene.

However, the service is a registered charity and relies on donations and fundraising in order to stay operational. Each day costs the service almost £5,000 with the annual cost totalling over £1.7 million. The NHS donates almost half the cost each year. Virgin is also a principal donor and they also guarantee the lease on the helicopter.

The costs of running the LAA has risen over the past years and the team of fundraisers need to raise £750,000 to keep the service running this year. Fundraising activity includes anything from charity auctions and events to collection buckets and boxes around London.

Andrew Cameron, Chief Executive of the London’s Air Ambulance Charity, calls on Londoners to help keep the service. “The LAA is the only air ambulance service in London, for Londoners. What people don’t realise is that we rely on charitable donations to stay operational. While all Londoners hope that they never need to rely on LAA, many who have been helped by our team certainly owe their lives to the service and it’s important that we keep this vital service in the air.”

Other facts about the LAA:

The London’s Air Ambulance completed 1,306 missions in 2006, including 548 road traffic accidents and 205 stabbings
The London’s Air Ambulance serves approximately 10 million people within the M25
The London’s Air Ambulance travels across the skies of London at 175mph and 1,500 feet
The London’s Air Ambulance can land in any space twice the length of the helicopter

For more information about the LAA and how you can make a donation, please visit www.londonsairambulance.com or email Christine.margetts@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk

- Ends -

For media information, images or an interview with Andrew Cameron please contact Louisa Herbert or Helen Pattison at Publicasity on

020 7632 2400 or laa@publicasity.co.uk

Notes to editors

The London’s Air Ambulance is a registered charity (no. 801013)

http://www.londonsairambulance.com
Christine Margetts
London's Air Ambulance
Fundraising Manager
Direct Line: 0207 943 1302
Mobile: 07932695389
Fax: 0207 943 1331
www.londonsairambulance.com
Charity number: 801013
Text 88101 to donate to London's Air Ambulance

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