Plea for action on restraint guidance

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

Charity the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health is urging the
government to issue guidance limiting the manoeuvre’s use to three
minutes maximum as “a matter of urgency”.

Bennett, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, died in 1998 after
being restrained for 25 minutes at the medium secure Norvic Clinic
in Norwich.

A spokesperson for the Sainsbury Centre said: “We call on the
government to consider an interim three-minute time limit to
prevent any further cases until new Nice guidance is
published.”

The Department of Health was unavailable for comment.