Coroner slams 'overly bureaucratic' mental health procedures which led to death of autistic Milton Keynes man

Senior coroner for Milton Keynes Tom Osborne has released his report into the death of Roy Curtis, who was found dead at his Ashlands flat in August 2019 nine months after taking his own life.

The report, which was released in December, listed the coroner's concerns and called on Milton Keynes Council's (MKC) chief executive, Michael Bracey, and its director of social services to respond with a plan to avoid deaths like Mr Curtis' in the future.

The coroner's concerns is with the adult social care assessment procedure, which he said is 'overly bureaucratic' and that patients are not afforded the priority within social services that they 'so obviously require'.

The coroner has requested the authorities respond to him by January 28 with a detailed action plan outlining how they aim to prevent future deaths similar to Mr Curtis' from happening again.

Mr Curtis, who had changed his name from Ayman Habayeb, had been under the care of Milton Keynes Council's social services for six years as a vulnerable adult.

He was admitted to the Campbell Centre, a mental health unit in MK run by the Central and North West London NHS Trust (CNWL), in September 2018 after saying he wanted to take his own life following issues with the Department for Work and Pensions over his benefit payments.

Mr Curtis was later discharged from the unit and received no home treatment as there was no formal care plan in place following his departure.

On August 21 2019, Mr Curtis was found dead when his landlords broke into his flat with a High Court bailiff to evict him because £2,767 was owed in rent.

A joint statement from MKC and CNWL released in November last year said 'significant' changes have been made in MK to the way agencies work together and share information to support people with complex needs.

The statement reads: "Helping local people to get the mental health and social care support they need must remain a priority. This tragic death underlines the importance of strong collaboration between the NHS, social care, housing providers, and the police.

"We will continue to put the learnings from this important case into practice to ensure that adults with autism are fully supported. We will do everything possible to reduce the risk of this happening again."

Milton Keynes Council launched an Integrated Autism Service last year which covers assessment, diagnosis and post-diagnostic support for people aged 16 plus.

Milton Keynes Council has been approached for further comment.

Suicide is preventable and support is available, such as Samaritans’ helpline. When life is difficult, Samaritans are there – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123 or email them at [email protected]