Neglected Patient With Mental Health Problems Led To Death

Last November 16, 2016 BBC reported about a suicidal case which dates back to 2013. It was a case of a man named Ian, who took his own life. He was the son of Charles and Elma Hamilton. He also fathered two children. It was stated in BBC that the family of the man has called for the establishment of a single mental health trust in Northern Ireland. However, the Health Minister Michelle O'Neill said otherwise.

He went through a lot and was subjected to depression in 1998. He experienced mental health problems for many years. He was a deeply troubled man, a drunkard, and a drug addict but, the autopsy of this man showed negative signs of violence and abuse.

Charles Hamilton said that Ian transferred to different health trusts, which contributed greatly to the problem. The father believed that a single mental health trust where everything is organized would be better because all the needed data regarding all the people with mental health problems will be accessed immediately as cited on Article Wn.

The mother of Ian, Elma Hamilton openly said that Ian's last hours were very stressful. She claimed that her son went to three hospitals inside 24 hours, which resulted to him being hopeless and tired because nobody could tell him the answers he needed. Elma also stated that Ian waited for 10 hours to see someone from a mental health team, and in another medical hospital, he harmed himself.

There was news about suicide reported on Portland Press Herald, where the mental health trust protocols' were questioned. But instead of blaming the health trusts, Elma and Charles Hamilton only wishes one thing, which is for the health trusts to have immediate, if not, fast response to the patients.

Both parents believed that the patients need to go somewhere serene, somewhere their questions will be answered, a hospital where the medical teams are busy attending to patients with broken bones and accidents.

The Health Minister Michelle O'Neill told the BBC that considering a single mental health trust for Northern Ireland never crossed her mind, but she said she believed they can do better and they are making sure that they are giving their best efforts to their patients.