Institutional racism a “festering abscess” in the NHS
“Institutional racism” pervades the NHS, an inquiry concluded yesterday.
An independent probe – led by Sir John Blofeld, a former high court judge – was launched six years ago after the death of Jamaican-born David “Rocky” Bennett, a black psychiatric patient, who died after being forcefully restrained by staff in a mental health clinic.
The inquiry examined Mr Bennett’s case and its mental health implications. Mr Bennett died in 1998 at the Norvic Clinic, a medium-secure unit in Norwich.
The report unveiled at a press conference at Westminster yesterday read: “In view of the history, we reserve judgement about whether this time good intentions will be translated into action … sufficient to cure this festering abscess, which is at present a blot on the good name of the NHS.”
The report – which made 17 recommendations – said black and ethnic minority communities “fear the NHS”.
It read: “Black and minority ethnic communities have a fear of the NHS: that if they engage with the mental health services they will be ‘locked up for a very long time, if not for life, and treated with medication which may eventually kill them’.”
The report claimed black people suffering from schizophrenia tended to receive higher doses of anti-psychotic drugs than white people with similar health problems and were also generally regarded as more aggressive and more difficult to treat.
Dr John Reid, the health secretary, acknowledged the improper discrimination against black mental health patients in the NHS but balked at admitting to “institutional racism”.
