A MUSICIAN'S family who asked for an investigation into his fatal leap

from the Erskine Bridge last year have been denied information about the

outcome.

Guitarist Joseph Doherty was a patient at Gartnavel Royal Hospital in

Glasgow when he told staff a year ago that he was ''going for a walk''.

His body was recovered from the Clyde under the bridge a few hours

later.

Mr Doherty, 30, who lived with his father in Dalmuir, had been

diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia. There had been a series of

incidents since the illness started to develop in 1986.

His brother, Alex Doherty, 37, said yesterday: ''I was instrumental in

getting him admitted under the Mental Health Act because I was afraid

for his safety. He was living in a high-rise flat. I put him in a place

where I thought he would be safe.''

After Mr Doherty's death, his brother asked the Mental Welfare

Commission for Scotland to investigate. They have made inquiries but

have told him and Mr Tony Worthington, his MP, that they cannot make

available the information they have gathered.

Mr Doherty's death is one of two involving Gartnavel patients which

are the subject of fatal accident inquiries opening in Dumbarton today.

Mr Alex Doherty said: ''It all seems a bit ominous. If they have learned

something about Joseph's death it should be aired at the fatal accident

inquiry.''

Mr Worthington, Labour MP for Clydebank and Milngavie, said: ''It

seems ridiculous that a watchdog body can take up a complaint concerning

the quality of treatment of a patient but are under no obligation to let

the complainant know the outcome.''

Dr James Dyer, acting director of the Mental Welfare Commission, said:

''We are not trying to be unhelpful; our remit asks us to make inquiries

and report to the appropriate health board, local authority, or other

body. We take that not to include informing the patient or relatives.

''One reason is that we get our information on the basis that it is

not for public disclosure. One argument could be that people will be

more open with us.

''We may be most effective in taking matters up in confidence and then

letting people know if we are satisfied or not with the result; our

inquiries into this particular case are continuing and we will be asking

for a transcript of the fatal accident inquiry.''

The second inquiry concerns Mr Raymond Pender, 22, from Alexandria,

who went missing in September. His body was recovered from Loch Lomond

after a group of Scouts found his clothes neatly stacked on the bank.

Other suspected suicides being investigated by Mr Worthington and

Dumbarton Labour MP John McFall are those of Mr Joseph Gilmartin, from

Dumbarton, who walked out of Gartnavel and was killed by a bus, a girl

who strangled herself in the hospital, and a woman who was discharged

and was later found dead.

Mr Laurence Peterken, general manager of Greater Glasgow Health Board,

said that eight in-patients of Gartnavel Royal had comitted suicide in

the past seven years.

''No single factor has emerged on a recurring basis to explain these

distressing events,'' he said.