Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many deaths have been notified due to covid-19 where the place of death is a mental health unit or ward.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) publishes an annual report ‘Monitoring the Mental Health Act’ which includes annual data for notifications to the CQC of deaths of people detained under the Mental Health Act.

The CQC has reported that, from 1 March to 1 May 2020, it had been notified of 54 deaths that mental health providers had indicated were suspected or confirmed to be COVID-19-related. This includes people who were detained in hospital and people subject to the Mental Health Act who were in the community.