What preventative steps is the Cabinet Secretary taking to ensure that adults suffering with poor mental health who go missing have the correct support available that will prevent further missing episodes?
We are committed to improve support for all those who need mental health services. All patients receive risk and safety assessments to evaluate risk factors and to inform decisions about care and treatment.
We expect all health boards to have missing persons policies in place to set out a clear protocol to follow should an individual go missing from in-patient or community mental health settings. This should include how the health board works with other services, including the police. When a person absconds, a clinical review would take place with the aim of preventing a future occurrence.
The National Police Chief’s Council issue guidance for police officers on responding to adults who go missing from health or care settings.