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'A Major Scandal'
Minorities more likely to be admitted for mental disorders.
Lord Kamlesh Patel, the academic who designed the government’s race equality policy on mental health has resigned over the appalling treatment of black and mixed-race patients in the health system.
In an interview with The Independent on Sunday, Lord Patel said a national inquiry was needed into why a disproportionate number of black people were being diagnosed, or misdiagnosed, with serious mental health problems, and why their experience of the mental health system was so poor.
Research shows that black men tend to be given higher doses of medication than whites and are five times more likely to be detained on locked wards. Black people and people of mixed- race are at least three times more likely to be admitted to hospital for mental health disorders than whites. They are also far more likely to be referred to mental health services by the police, courts or social services and be diagnosed as psychotic and restrained or secluded in hospital.
Lord Patel also said he was dismayed at the disproportionate use of control and seclusion orders and said the Government had yet to answer on why so many ethnic minorities were being detained. 'I think there is a situation that is completely unacceptable. It's the last remaining care scandal. This is a major scandal.'
Resigning so that he could speak out against discrimination Lord Patel, who is also chairman of the Mental Health Commission, believes protections for ethnic minorities and a duty to monitor the impact of the legislation on ethnic minorities should be written into the Mental Health Bill before Parliament.
'Surely any government would want to know why this is happening,' Lord Patel said. 'We need a committee of inquiry. The census shows they are 50 per cent more likely to receive restraint or seclusion. Nearly 30 per cent of the population in high-security psychiatric care are black. We have an obligation to ensure that any future legislation must mitigate this situation. We should be putting race equality principles on the face of the Bill.'
Lord Patel is now in talks with the Department of Health about the way forward.
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