M ental I llness C oncerns A ll	Raymond Wills was an eldest son. He did little at school leaving at fifteen, with three basic exam results, then taking factory work, starting a printing apprenticeship, but failing that for poor timekeeping, and was then subsequently unemployed. At some stage in his schooldays he was a misfit, probably being bullied at one school from which he was moved, and out of sorts at at home, and the family were taken for family therapy. This was discontinued by mutual consent after six sessions in two month, the final judgement being that there were areas of family tension. The family therapy connection remains unrelated as to content. After school RW falls out with his family being particularly critical of the younger sister, more popular and outgoing than himself. RW shows and acknowledges, a lot of anger. He makes accusations against his family, and quarrels with his mother. And also self harms, leaving a mutilated wrist. He is accepted for a young persons' assessment Unit, but is often missing and does not take part. He is discharged. An early appointment at home with a psychiatrist believes this is could well be an embryonic case of schizophrenia, but considers a section admission to be premature as it will turn RW against any future engagement with professional connection. A community mental health team fails to engage him and discharges him as a 'social problem'. Subsequently, during six years of drifting, much petty crime for theft and damge, rough living, and continual lodgment difficulties, he is never picked up in any psychiatric helping service until the last three months before the tragedy. In the meanwhile he passes through many other welfare agencies, is in Court several times,and into a lengthy probation supervision, but never with any psychiatric diversion or remand for a full psychiatric assessment. Some of what is described points to the illness of schizophrenia existing throughout this time ... he is found lying in a field in the mud... he accuses various people; a social worker report for the Local Authority homeless says 'paranoid delusions'. Finally he is heard shouting and talking to himself, and this is not overlooked, but takes him into the psychiatric service by out-patient contact. Here he starts an efficacious medication for schizophrenia. It is an oral preparation, and there is one week during the last ten weeks when he certainly does not take his tablets. As he discloses depressive preoccupations, he is prescribed a serotonin altering anti-depressant. This preparation can alter the blood level of the other medication, competing for the same liver enzyme It is not made clear who is supervising the regime in his community. Nor does the Inquiry give any account of the family interest or experience in the last year or in the last months nor any detail of what could be described about the tragic attack. The Inquiry comments that the psychiatric service when it came to be given was what it should have been, and it is only sad that it was not effective. The tragedy could not have been foreseen, nor prevented. Review Winter; Wills back to Inquiry linking         E-mail reaction is welcome mica@didgy.freeserve.co.uk