Mental health inequality is still claiming lives

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

It is unacceptable that the mortality rate amongst those with severe mental illness is increasing (Indy)

I read with interest The Independent’s exclusive detailing the abuse and poor care that people with mental health problems have received from NHS Trusts. While I don’t wish to diminish in any way the scandal of sexual abuse in NHS Trusts experienced by patients, it is sadly not the only example of inequity between mental and physical health care.

Those with a severe mental illness die prematurely most commonly from physical health conditions such as “obesity, asthma, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and liver disease” – a quote from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities. The same paper goes on to state that the rate of premature mortality for those with mental health issues had increased from a rate three times greater than the general population in 2015 – 2017, to five times greater in the years 2018 – 2020.

At a time when mortality from physical health long-term conditions is falling, it is unacceptable that the mortality rate amongst those with severe mental illness is increasing. Not only are they at risk of sexual abuse, but they are also at risk of poor physical health care. This, too, is a national scandal that needs investigating further.

Dr Alan Cohen FRCGP

Oxford

Attitudes need to change

Thanks for highlighting the despicable sexual abuse of the mentally ill within NHS settings. As one who worked for the NHS in such settings and has been a patient due to bipolar disorder, this is no surprise to me.

This, in my opinion, is because of the culture within the organisation and the atrocious attitude that this government has toward the mentally ill – one of pure ignorance. At the time the NHS was founded, the wider culture believed mental illness wasn’t important, and ludicrously, among some, that notion still exists. Whether through a lack of research funding or facilities, patients with mental illness have been left behind.

For the last four years, I have been writing to the PM health ombudsman and the media to highlight my own discriminatory treatment. I want to make them realise that good mental health equals much improved physical health, which would save the country a fortune in the long term. It should be a moral and legal obligation of the NHS to treat the mentally ill with the same consideration as those physically ill.

Richard Whiteside

Halifax

How strange...

The tales of the missing messages at the Covid Inquiry are not convincing. Changing phones is not an issue. I have changed mine several times since 2007, and have in the same period had at least three different providers. Text messages from 2007 remain on the record. Emails from two accounts I no longer use retain their messages, and the one still in service continues to receive messages. WhatsApp messages are retained because I have not deleted them.

I do not doubt that WhatsApp messages from the principal players in the Covid inquiry can be accessed somewhere on the app itself. It remains a mystery why the Scottish government ever had a policy of deleting messages unless those at the top of both the party and civil service felt they had something to hide.

I doubt that Alex Salmond will be satisfied with the current state of affairs when he pursues the Scottish government for damages. It seems that Liz Lloyd, Nicola Sturgeon’s former chief of staff, has retained some messages from the Covid period but not any relating to the Salmond trial that was taking place at the same time.

Strange, that? I think we can expect Salmond’s counsel to pursue that one vigorously.

Jill Stephenson 

Glenlockhart Valley

Clown-on-clown violence

So, at the Covid inquiry, we learned that Sturgeon considered Boris Johnson to be a “f**king clown” who demonstrated “utter incompetence”.

I get it; he’s not my cup of tea either. Yet Scotland and England (with the notable exception of Scotland’s higher 2020 care home deaths) had similar outcomes in terms of the death tolls in each country. So if Johnson is an incompetent “f**king clown”, then using deaths as a measure (sadly the only Covid yardstick that truly matters) is Sturgeon any different?

Martin Redfern

Roxburghshire