| Female
psychiatric patient dies after attack by man in same unit
August
30, 2007
by staff reporter
A female patient has died after an attack by a man in the same psychiatric
unit.
Rosalind Kim McManus, 58, was killed in a psychiatric ward of Birch
Hill Hospital in Littleborough, Greater Manchester. The ward is
run by Pennine Care Trust.
Greater
Manchester Police confirmed Ms McManus had died from strangulation.
The
attack was just after 6pm on Monday, August 13.
Ms McManus was transferred to Rochdale
Infirmary but died of her injuries.
A
36-year-old male patient, Telahum Tedola, from the same ward has
been charged with her murder.
Ms McManus's death comes months
after the Healthcare Commission reported that mixed-sex psychiatric
wards are common, despite government claims to the contrary.
A commission census of all mental health units in England and Wales
found 55% of inpatients have to share sleeping accommodation or
bathrooms with the opposite sex.
In July last year, Lord Warner, then health minister, told House
of Lord peers that 99% of NHS trusts providing mental health services
met "single-sex objectives" set out in 2000, requiring
all mental health units to provide separate sleeping, toilet and
bathing accommodation for men and women.
Campaigners say mixed-sex wards
are highly unsuitable for psychiatric patients who may be extremely
vulnerable.
At the time of the commission's census, Paul Farmer, chief executive
of the mental health charity Mind, said: it was “quite staggering
how bad the mixed sex wards situation is.”
"The NHS is putting some of the most vulnerable people in some
of the most threatening and unpleasant environments,” he said.
See also:
March
29, 2007: Mixed-sex psychiatric wards common, despite government
claims to contrary - Healthcare Commission finds 55% of inpatients
share sleeping accommodation or bathrooms with opposite sex.
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