Government fails to act on restraint guidance

Six months after the inquiry report into the death of David
“Rocky” Bennett recommended guidance on time-limited
use of the prone restraint, the government has failed to
act,writes Sally Gillen.

Charity the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health is urging the
government to issue guidance saying it can only be used for three
minutes maximum as “a matter of greatest
urgency”.

Bennett, a 38-year-old African Caribbean diagnosed with
schizophrenia, died in 1998 after being restrained for 25 minutes
at medium secure Norvic Clinic in Norwich.

A spokesperson for the SCMH said: “While it is right to wait
for NICE guidance before acting long-term, we call on the
government to consider an interim three-minute time limit to
prevent any further cases and to ensure equipment is available and
training is provided regularly in all mental health
hospitals.”

He added: “Black people continue to experience mental health
services as coercive and inhumane. From diagnosis and risk
assessment to the use of medication, there are inequities that need
to be addressed throughout the system.”