A HOMICIDE review panel has made several recommendations for lessons to be learnt following the death of pensioner Barbara Heywood, who was stabbed by her husband, 89-year-old Arthur.

Mrs Heywood had repeatedly told health care professionals and social workers that she did not feel safe with her husband and did not want him to return to their Ramsay Avenue, Farnworth home after he was discharged from hospital.

Professionals failed to realise frail pensioner killed by husband was domestic abuse victim

Stabbed pensioner repeatedly told social workers she did not feel safe

But her concerns were not recorded or addressed, even though the behaviour she described fits the government's definition of domestic abuse.

The review panel stated that professionals, instead, appeared to treat his abusive behaviour as a manifestation of his medical condition.

The panel makes the following recommendations in order to improve the way elderly and other domestic abuse victims are dealt with in future.

  • Professionals need to recognise when information disclosed to them is domestic abuse and should follow procedures to record and handle the information.
  • Professionals need to recognise the false assumption that domestic abuse ends after a certain age but that the experiences of the elderly may be different to those in other age groups.
  • When receiving information about domestic abuse professionals should not make assumptions.
  • In order to make sure victims are protected, full information should be gathered and no assumptions made, before deciding whether a safeguarding enquiry takes place.
  • When domestic abuse victims make disclosures the risk should be documented and assessed.
  • Better communication between patients, carers and families is needed when planning a discharge from hospital.
  • A risk of domestic abuse should be recorded and shared between professionals who have a role in protecting the victim.
  • When domestic abuse is mentioned by a victim, a professional should not reveal the disclosure to the perpetrator except in exceptional circumstances.
  • Families do not often recognise the significance of information they hold which could help professionals identify and assess a risk of domestic abuse.