Avoidable Deaths: Five Year Report of the National Confidential Inquiry Into Suicide and Homicide by People With Mental Illness

This report provides national figures for England & Wales on patient suicide & patient homicide. It describes the events preceding these incidents, the problems & warning signs on which future prevention must be based. Five years of data are presented (April 2000-December 2004) as is evidence of progress, particularly in the area of safety in inpatient wards. Findings are also presented on sudden unexplained deaths on mental health wards. The report highlights the areas of clinical practice that need to be strengthened if suicides, homicides, & sudden deaths are to be prevented & it puts forward actions that services can take.