About this page. This page summarises a Domestic Homicide Review published in the Home Office DHR Library. The full report is available at the source link below. Victim and perpetrator names are not included in extracted summaries on this page.
Source · Domestic Homicide Review
West Berkshire review
CSP: West BerkshirePublished: December 2022Year of death: 2017Extracted: 4 recs
Statutory domestic homicide review under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Source: Home Office DHR Library.
The report highlights a lack of routine enquiry about domestic abuse by GPs, fragmented information sharing between agencies due to separate GP registrations and limited communication from the drug and alcohol service, and the need for greater professional curiosity regarding domestic abuse and substance misuse.
Home Office classifications
25 tags
Source-supplied classifications used by the Home Office to catalogue this review.
Victim - mental ill health
Victim - anxiety
Victim - depression
Victim - suicidal thoughts
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (victim and perpetrator)
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (between victims)
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (between perpetrators)
Children - living with victim (including adult children)
Children - living with perpetrator (including adult children)
Child - primary address same as victim
Perpetrator - case heard in court
Perpetrator - alcohol misuse
Perpetrator - substance misuse
Perpetrator - mental ill health
Perpetrator - anxiety
Perpetrator - depression
Perpetrator - suicidal thoughts
Perpetrator - serious or life limiting illness
Perpetrator - attended drug and alcohol services
DHR process - family consulted about terms of reference
DHR process - health services recommendations
DHR process - school recommendations
DHR process - other educational institution recommendations
DHR process - identification of risk recommendation themes
DHR process - training recommendation themes
Extracted recommendations
4 recommendations pulled from the report · 1 matched to organisations in the index
GP practices should be reminded of the necessity to make routine enquiry about domestic abuse. West Berkshire has implemented a wide-ranging programme of GP training but this case demonstrates there is more to do to embed routine enquiry in day-to-day practice.
Addressed to
IRiS Drug and Alcohol Service | Incoming Drug and Alcohol Service Provider
The Drug and Alcohol Service should put in place a process for ensuring that GPs are advised when a patient presents to their service. The issues of confidentiality notwithstanding, a policy or process for when this should take place will better guide staff on when this should occur. This should apply to the services provided by the organisation not only in West Berkshire but in it other locations.
Clinical Commissioning Group to continue to promote domestic abuse training in primary care based on sign indicators presentation of stress anxiety and clinical research and effective record keeping.