Psychiatry and psychology
Injuries to psychiatric patients can result from a wide range of failures such as inappropriate restraint, wrongly discharging into the community, failure to diagnose or treating wrongly, failure to assess what levels of clinical observations a patient should be on whilst an in-patient. Such failures can result in physical injury or death (sometimes by suicide) to the clients concerned. Leigh Day & Co has successfully represented clients and their families where such injuries have occurred.
Psychology is broadly the study of human behaviour and the mind, and can encompass both clinical and research areas. A psychologist
is an individual educated and trained to perform research, testing and therapy of mental health. This is different from a psychiatrist, who is a medically trained doctor who specialises in the medical treatment of mental health disorders.
We have also has represented many clients who are seeking compensation following physical, or mental abuse, the results of which will be either psychiatric injury, by way of trauma, or physical injury, the effects of which have at some time been visible.
News
Independent investigation shows failings by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
The family of a man stabbed by a mental health patient has received compensation.
The Government is considering a draft mental health bill which, among many other elements, will give psychiatric services the right to treat some patients with mental health problems compulsorily. Leigh Day & Co has been involved with a number of cases where psychiatric patients have received inadequate treatment and have then harmed or killed someone else and/or themselves.
The case of Roger Ramm, who died while being detained under the Mental Health Act, has settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. His mother was represented by the Human Rights department of Leigh Day & Co.