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Police Investigate Hospital Hanging Staff May Be Charged Over Actor's Death

Posted on: Monday, 16 January 2006, 15:02 CST

By HUME TIM

THE FAMILY of a man believed to have killed himself in a Christchurch psychiatric hospital hopes a damning report into his treatment will hasten criminal charges against mental health staff.

Former stage actor Anthony McKeown, 36, died after he was found hanging in a secure unit at Hillmorton Hospital in January 2004 by his nurse. His death has been referred to the coroner as a suspected suicide.

In a rare move, police are investigating laying criminal charges - including failing to provide the necessaries of life - against hospital staff.

After a psychiatrist changed McKeown's diagnosis to factitious disorder in 2001 - essentially saying he was faking mental illness - McKeown was refused psychiatric treatment for about a year, causing his mental state to deteriorate rapidly. He had earlier been diagnosed as schizophrenic.

Two years after his death, police have yet to forward medical evidence to psychiatrists for evaluation, delaying inquiries by the coroner and Health and Disability Commissioner which are on hold until the police investigation is completed.

"Our lives stopped the moment Anthony died. The delay means we can't move on," said Judith McKeown, who remembers her son as "a compassionate, considerate man who valued people enormously".

Her husband, Tony McKeown, said he had lost patience with getting accountability over his son's death, which had prolonged his family's suffering.

"We've kept quiet for two years and we've had enough of it now."

He said the latest Hillmorton report to come to light, which details the hospital's actions before his son's death, was further evidence of the lamentable treatment his son received.

Hillmorton's "serious event review report" found:

* The emergency equipment used in the attempt to save McKeown did not work because it had been incorrectly maintained. Staff were able to resuscitate McKeown, but when he later vomited, suction equipment was not connected properly, and there was no spare mask.

* Despite McKeown's "extremely (unstable), agitated and paranoid" state of mind, he was classed as low to medium suicide risk, and therefore possessions such as items he could have used to hang himself were not removed.

* His nurse left him alone for 45 minutes, during which time the incident happened. Staff checked on him less than 15 minutes before the incident.

Tony McKeown said his son's mistreatment stemmed from the rare and "totally off the wall" diagnosis of factitious disorder. That had made it impossible for Anthony McKeown to access mental health services and he had been discharged from the mental health outpatient service. His behaviour then deteriorated to yelling obscenities in the streets, defecating in his house and attacking his sister.

Tony McKeown said his son repeatedly sought help from Hillmorton, but was refused every time. Mental health workers were instructed to call the police if he caused trouble. He was re-admitted in September 2003 after attacking his father, who called the police. His diagnosis was then changed to bipolar affective disorder.

Detective Sergeant Will McIvor, of Hornby police, said the case had been delayed by difficulties in finding the right person to assess the medical evidence, and other cases requiring police attention.

The investigation - relating to whether medical staff properly discharged their legal duties under the Crimes Act - centred on McKeown's treatment immediately before his death and on previous occasions. Psychiatrists who treated him had been interviewed.

Canterbury District Health Board operations manager Diana Grice refused to comment while the matter was under investigation.

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Source: Sunday Star - Times; Wellington, New Zealand

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