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Almost 200 mental health patients vanished from Birmingham mental health hospitals last year, worrying figures have revealed.

A total of 190 disappeared from sites run by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust in 2018-19, the second-highest number in the country.

It provides low and medium secure mental health services for adults and also helps children and young people.

But its total of vanishing patients was topped only by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, with 625.

A patient is defined as going absent without leave if they leave a facility without permission, or fail to return after being allowed out on temporary leave.

Nationally, a total of 3,462 people went AWOL from treatment centres in England between April last year and March 2019 - up from the previous year's 3,316.

Mental health charity bosses warned that lives could be at risk.

Neighbour terrified by knife-wielding monkey dust addict who thought he was being attacked by demons

(Image: PA)

SANE chief executive Marjorie Wallace said: "We are increasingly concerned at the number of patients across the country who go missing for one reason or another, particularly those who become acutely ill without their medication and who can become a risk to themselves and others.

"We need urgent action to prevent patients going absent, or we risk an increase in suicides amongst this group."

The charity blamed years of "relentless cuts" for creating poor conditions on hospital wards.

Alison Cobb, specialist policy adviser at the charity Mind, said it was difficult to draw definitive conclusions from the figures.

However, she said the Mental Health Act was used in a way that failed to treat people with dignity and respect.

"Hospital wards can be stark and inhospitable, and when people are sectioned they are sometimes subject to unnecessary restrictions and practices such as physical restraint, seclusion or forced medication," she said.

BirminghamLive has contacted Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust for a comment.