KEY POINTS:
A nurse who lost two sons while they were under the care of the health service is spearheading calls for a national inquiry into mental health treatment.
Sally Fisher is demanding action after a string of suicides involving mental health patients, including her son Shane in Auckland.
Her request comes four days after the Christchurch District Health Board announced an external review into the deaths of three psychiatric patients in the care of Hillmorton Hospital.
It follows public apologies to three families this month from health boards in Hamilton and Wellington over failings related to the deaths of patients under the care of mental health services. Investigations have been launched in all cases.
The dead include:
Janine Fraser, 25, and Finn Higgins, 26, who died while being treated by Capital and Coast District Health Board providers.
Brenda Moore, 42, who died while being treated by the Waikato District Health Board.
"Mental health care in New Zealand is a time bomb," Sally Fisher said.
"It's one of the largest illnesses we have in this country and the care is in chaos. People are dying and nothing is being done. I want an inquiry."
In a brief statement to the Herald on Sunday, Health Minister David Cunliffe said he had requested Ministry of Health advice on serious mental health incidents at the Auckland and Canterbury health boards.
He wanted to know if each had been thoroughly investigated and whether there was a need for a system-wide review.
He said he would not comment further until the advice was received.
National Party associate health spokesman Jonathan Coleman said an urgent inquiry would be "justified" and many health boards weren't spending many millions assigned to mental health.
Shane Fisher was the second of Sally and Michael Fisher's children to die while under medical care.
Their son Glen, a 17-year-old fitness centre attendant, died in 1998 of blood poisoning caused by meningococcal disease.
In 2002, a coroner criticised North Shore Hospital over its care of Glen.
Sally said her son Shane, 26, was happy and studying at Auckland University but became mentally ill after his brother's death.
Shane was sectioned under the Mental Health Act after his first psychotic attack in 2002. He was committed twice more in the next two years before moving to Wellington.
Sally said mental health staff in Auckland lost contact with Shane and failed to provide information to their counterparts in the capital.
When he had a severe psychotic attack, his family spent seven hours trying to get Wellington experts to visit his flat. They refused because they had no information on his case.
After returning to Auckland, Shane became suicidal and was put on the waiting list for the Buchanan Rehabilitation Centre in Pt Chevalier, a facility providing intensive inpatient rehabilitation for people with multiple problems who have been difficult to treat elsewhere.
Sally said her family was devastated after discovering Shane would have to wait a year for a place. A week later he was dead.
Although considered a high-risk patient, Shane was allowed to walk 10 minutes from Auckland Hospital to his family home for dinner every day at 4.30pm. Afterwards he would return to the unit for the night, accompanied by his father.
Hospital staff usually called to say he was leaving hospital and would be home shortly. The walk was considered good for rehabilitation.
Sally says on May 20, 2006, Shane left the hospital about 1pm with no warning call from staff. A sibling later found him dead at home. She wants to know why her son was allowed to leave early, why there was no phone call and why there were no medical notes on his care from that day or the night before.
"As a family we have been let down twice by the health system. First, Glen should never have died and second, Shane should never have been allowed unescorted leave as a high-risk client. We relied on the professional guidance of those who cared for him, as we considered them to be the experts."
Auckland District Health Board general manager of mental health, Fionnagh Dougan, said staff had had frequent contact with the Fisher family since Shane's death, including a mediation session.
"The patient was well-liked by staff members and we are very sorry about the family's loss," said Dougan.
She would not comment further until after a coroner's hearing into Shane's death.
According to one New Zealand study, one person in eight will have a major depressive episode in their lifetime. Sally Fisher says a national inquiry would ensure appropriate care was available.
Specific requests include standard procedures nationwide, including staff removing belts from all patients and checking their mental health before they are allowed on leave.
Her call for an inquiry has the backing of families of other patients who committed suicide.
Ian Fraser, whose daughter Janine killed herself after her request to stay in care was refused by mental health staff at the Capital and Coast Board in Wellington, said he was encouraged Cunliffe would look into the issue.
Donna Moore, whose sister Brenda was found dead in the grounds of Waikato Hospital, wants more accessible help and a total care plan for patients at the start of treatment.
To help Sally's campaign for change, email sal-48@hotmail.com
