Learning the lessons from homicide inquiries: Adding insult to injury?

Learning the Lessons (Sheppard, 1996) is a compilation of recommendations taken from mental health inquiry reports published between 1969 and 1996. It was commissioned by the Zito Trust with the intention of providing a concise and accessible summary of the conclusions of the 54 inquiries to date. This paper reviews Learning the Lessons and suggests that it represents a missed opportunity to investigate the themes and messages which emerge. An alternative summary which extracts general principles is proposed as being the first step in establishing the association between service characteristics and violence by patients.