{mosimage}The killing of a man by a violent paranoid schizophrenic was the result of “an appalling catalogue of errors”, health bosses have admitted.

John Barrett repeatedly stabbed Denis Finnegan, 50, as he cycled in Richmond Park, south-west London, in 2004.

Poor communication and a lack of monitoring contributed to his escape from hospital, according to an independent inquiry report for the NHS.

Barrett pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was jailed for life in March 2005. He had absconded from Springfield Hospital in Tooting, south London, the night before the killing in September 2004.

{mosimage}Barrett had been granted an hour’s “ground leave” from the Shaftesbury Clinic, a secure unit, but failed to return.

The decision to give him that freedom by consultant psychiatrist Dr Gill Mezey was described by the inquiry as “seriously flawed”.

On leaving the hospital, 43-year-old Barrett bought numerous kitchen knives, took a taxi to Richmond Park and repeatedly stabbed Mr Finnegan, because he said he heard voices commanding him to kill.

More than 12,000 complaints were made about the NHS in the north west last year. Figures from the Information Centre for Health and Social Care showed there were 12,560 complaints about frontline health trusts in the region during 2005/06. That is the third highest regional figure in England and nearly three times the number made in the north east (3,940) in the same period.

Four nurses have won their High Court case against measures to stop them doing care work. The nurses had been suspended over questions about their conduct. The judge said the government measures, introduced to protect vulnerable people from ill-treatment by care workers, contravened the nurses’ human rights. The nurses, from Kent and Oxfordshire, were wrongly denied the right of a hearing when provisionally suspended from their work, said their lawyers.

Look Ahead Housing and Care has been presented with the first prize in the Andy Ludlow Homelessness Award 2006 at a special ceremony organised by London Councils. The housing charity’s Customer Involvement Programme – based in Kensington and Chelsea – saw off the challenge of five other short listed projects to collect the £10,000 top prize. The award ceremony was addressed by keynote speaker the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly MP, making her first speech on homelessness since taking up her position.

Investing in “low level” preventative services providing ‘that bit of help’ for older people to remain independent can have huge cost-benefits, according to Counsel and Care, the national charity getting the best care and support for older people, their families and carers. Effective use of telecare, for example, can make big savings in expensive residential or hospital care by supporting older people in their own homes, monitoring their wellbeing and reducing falls.

A caring couple were in despair after claiming an off-the-cuff remark about “white foreigners” had sunk their dream of becoming foster parents. David Mott and his wife Sarah were on their way to a key four-day induction workshop with social services experts when they were held up by a road accident. Mr Mott (43) claims that his explanation for being late dropped him in trouble with a social worker involved in assessing them to take a child under their roof, when he said the accident involved “white foreigners” who looked like eastern Europeans.

Mind, a mental health charity, has launched an information pack to raise awareness about seasonal affective disorder (Sad) and its effects. Many people feel depressed at this time of year and an unfortunate few can become severely so, due to the effects of the wintry season. Yet despite all of the evidence available, many ignore their feelings for fear of ‘looking silly’.

Ruth Kelly has vowed to eradicate the practice of housing homeless teenagers in bed and breakfast hostels by 2010. The communities secretary described the provision of temporary accommodation for 16- and 17-year-olds as “unacceptable for a civilised society”, and promised extra funding to improve the care offered by local authorities. Currently many teenagers who are forced out of home are put up in adult hostels. They are often on their own, and are offered little care or support.

John Reid has announced new powers to evict people from their properties within 48 hours for anti-social behaviour as part of the Government’s crackdown on loutish behaviour. The Home Secretary said the “common sense” policies would aim to speed up the justice system, in some cases bypassing the need to go to court. Speaking in Bristol he said that justice should be swift and “work for the victims of crime, not against them”.

Ministers have pledged £67 million to improve the standard of care homes across England. The government says it wants a zero tolerance attitude to abuse of the elderly, who must be treated with ‘dignity and respect’.