Suicide Antidepressants 15/02/2011 England Man Hangs Himself While on Depresion Medication
Suicide Antidepressants 2011-02-15 England Man Hangs Himself While on Depresion Medication
Summary:

Paragraph nine reads:  "Mr Day was struggling to deal with the break-up of his family, who moved away from the city last summer."

"He had been seeing his GP on and off from September last year, and had been prescribed antidepressants. On October 21, he met with the community mental health team at Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen."



http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2135390?UserKey=

Tuesday 15 February 2011


Investigation goes on into events leading to man’s death


Health chiefs to meet family over hanging

By Ryan Crighton

Published: 14/02/2011

Health chiefs will meet with the family of an Aberdeen man later this week as part of an investigation into the events leading up to his death.

Daniel Day was found hanged after a six-month battle to get help from mental health professionals at NHS Grampian – during which time he had made three unsuccessful attempts to take his own life.

His family made repeated pleas to have him sectioned, but the 28-year-old was instead placed on a waiting list for an appointment.

They lodged a complaint with NHS Grampian – and the health board’s chief executive, Richard Carey, said every effort would be made to learn from the case.

The Press and Journal understands that Mr Carey will present the findings of the health board’s investigation to Mr Day’s mother, stepfather, brother and sister at a meeting on Friday.

Mr Day’s mother, Julie Brown, who lives in the Borders, said last month that his death could have been prevented if he had received the help he desperately wanted.

She said: “There is clearly a problem here – how many other Daniels are there out there? He tried to seek help and it was denied him.”

Mr Day was struggling to deal with the break-up of his family, who moved away from the city last summer.

He had been seeing his GP on and off from September last year, and had been prescribed antidepressants. On October 21, he met with the community mental health team at Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen.

Mr Day received a letter on November 3 confirming that he did need help, but the team was unable to set an appointment date with a psychiatrist because of the waiting list.

Two days later, his sister took him to Cornhill after becoming concerned for his wellbeing – and on the way, realised he had been walking around the city with a noose in his back pocket.

She said he climbed over a gate at 3am and pleaded for staff at the hospital to help him deal with his “suicidal thoughts” but was told that he would have to call Scotland’s round-the-clock health helpline, NHS 24.

Weeks later, on January 9, Mr Day was found dead in his flat in Hayton Road.

His 25-year-old sister, Naomi Martinez, of Gilcomston Park, Aberdeen, said he had been let down when he needed help the most.

After the Press and Journal reported the case, the Labour Party at the Scottish Parliament called for a full inquiry into the case so that “lessons could be learned”.