According to an analysis of government data by the Observer, the amount of black patients who have been injured while being restrained by police in mental health facilities has significantly increased, while the number of non-black patients injured has decreased.
According to the latest statistics from the Home Office, police forces in England reported 820 instances of using force against black patients in mental health units during the 2022/23 period, resulting in 36 injuries. This marks an increase from the 770 incidents and 27 injuries reported in the previous year (2021/22).
During the same period, there was a 19% decrease in use of force incidents against non-black inpatients, from 7,698 to 6,244. The number of resulting injuries also decreased from 559 to 406.
Abena Oppong-Asare, a Labour MP for Erith and Thamesmead and the shadow minister for women’s health and mental health, stated that these statistics demonstrate the disturbing increase in racial disparities within our mental health services.
The most recent information pertains to the entire first year since the primary regulations of the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act went into effect in 2018. This legislation, also referred to as “Seni’s law”, was implemented after the passing of Olaseni Lewis, a 23-year-old African American man who passed away in Bethlem Royal Hospital in 2010 while being restrained by 11 officers from the Metropolitan police.
Mental healthcare providers must create and share policies about the use of restraint, document instances of force, and educate staff on de-escalation methods to decrease its frequency.
Starting from August 2022, if the police are called to respond to mental health units, they must wear body cameras.
Despite some changes being implemented, experts are still worried that there has been little actual improvement in the way things are done.
Lucy McKay, a representative for the organization Inquest, stated that the family of Seni Lewis advocated for this legislation in order to prevent a recurrence of the events that occurred to Seni.
The law and guidance have resulted in significant changes, but this has not been apparent for black inpatients like Seni, who are experiencing worsening conditions.
The use of ground restraint and limb and body restraint by police in restraining Lewis increased by 9% and 20%, respectively, when restraining black patients. However, the use of these tactics decreased by 38% and 14%, respectively, when restraining non-black patients.
Aji Lewis, the mother of Seni Lewis and a campaigner on mental health, said: “Since my son died more than 13 years ago, we have fought to ensure he has a legacy. That legacy should be that what happened to Seni does not continue to happen.”
The passing of Seni’s law and the accompanying instructions was a beneficial advancement. However, this information indicates that the necessary changes are not being made. We must take immediate measures to tackle the ongoing racial inequalities in restraining patients and to stop the harmful use of restraint on mental health patients.
A representative from the Home Office stated that law enforcement officials are only permitted to utilize force when it is justified, required, and balanced in order to safeguard the well-being of the public and themselves.
No one should be subjected to police force based on their ethnic background. We are simplifying the use of body-worn cameras for officers and giving communities more chances to review cases of police force.
Source: theguardian.com
