Stabbing ‘could have been avoided’ with better care

A mental health trust discharged a patient without reviewing his risk level, a month before he went on to stab a man.

Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust then carried out a “flawed” internal investigation, according to a Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report published today.

It comes amid ongoing response to the killing of three people in Nottingham by Valdo Calocane in 2023, who had also been in the care of mental health teams. The public inquiry about this incident is ongoing.

Providers have been asked to review their services, and there are concerns about a lack of capacity.

In the Kent and Medway case, the PHSO said the trust should compensate the patient’s mother, because caring for her 31-year-old son left her with lasting trauma. The man – who has not been named – was diagnosed with schizophrenia after the attack.

He had been detained in hospital but was discharged in June 2020 to a community mental health team, who were responsible for assessing his risk and providing care. He was discharged by the trust in October 2020, without having had a face-to-face appointment since June, and without a risk assessment or care plan in place.

The following month, he stabbed a man, who survived, and was later convicted and detained in a medium secure unit under the Mental Health Act.

PHSO chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said: “It highlights the stark consequences of poor mental health care, not just for patients, but also for their families, carers and even strangers.”

She said the patient’s mother endured a “frightening and distressing situation” for more than a year while her requests for help went largely unanswered, leaving her fearing for her safety.

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Source: HSJ, 30 April 2026