Over 200 absconders from Hackney’s John Howard Centre in last 13 years

Over 200 people have absconded from a mental health hospital in Hackney over the last 13 years.

In the past four years there were 95 absconders from Homerton’s, John Howard Centre – an increase from 68 absconders between 2004 and 2009 and 48 between 2001 and 2004.

A BBC freedom of information request revealed that 211 patients under the care of the Centre, many of which suffer from various personality disorders, did not return from unescorted leave while receiving treatment.

Convicted murderer Lerone Boye fled the mental health unit in October last year, after he was convicted for the murder of 17-year-old Kelvin Chibueze in 2012. Police later captured him after a three-month long manhunt, which included a £10,000 reward.

The John Howard Centre is a medium secure centre that allows some patients leave for days out. If they do not return on time, this is recorded as an absconding, even though they may come back by choice eventually.

Dr Kevin Cleary, Medical Director of East London Foundation NHS Trust, said decisions to release patients for a day was made after “careful consideration and risk assessment” by clinical teams. It was also sometimes discussed with the Ministry of Justice, he added.

But Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity Sane, has warned that increased absconsion rates are related to pressures on mental health centres following cuts and closures of some hospitals.

She said: “These extraordinary figures reflect a trend of mental health services allowing patients more escorted and unescorted leave to speed up their treatment and rehabilitation and return them to the community.

“The agenda to close down long-stay beds and to treat patients, however disturbed, in the community only increases the pressure on an already overburdened system.

“This can come at the expense of both the patient’s own protection and the safety of the public.”