Fewer than half of mental health patients always feel safe on hospital wards, according to a report published today.
The biggest national survey of care on mental health wards found many people felt let down by services.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) surveyed more than 7,500 people recently discharged from 64 NHS trusts across England.
It found just 34% felt involved in decisions about their care and
treatment, 35% saying that there was too little to do on weekdays and
54% saying there was too little to do on weekends and evenings.
Overall, 45% of patients said they always felt safe on the ward, while 39% sometimes felt safe and 16% did not feel safe at all.
The report also revealed limited access to talking therapies such as
counselling or managing anxiety, with fewer than half of the 52% who
wanted talking therapies getting any.
Of the patients sectioned under the Mental Health Act, 27% said they
did not have their rights explained in a way they could understand.
While most patients felt they were treated with dignity and respect,
only half said they were 'always' given enough time to discuss their
condition and treatment with psychiatrists, while 41% said the same for
nurses.
Barbara Young, chair of the CQC, said: "This survey gets to the
heart of what it means to provide care that meets people's individual
needs.
"As the care services regulator, we have pledged to ensure that the voices of everyone who uses care services are heard.
"This survey shows us that there is considerable room for
improvement in patients' experiences of acute inpatient mental health
services, and that there remains a particular need to ensure that
services are focused on meeting the needs of people as individuals.
"It is not acceptable for people to feel unsafe in hospital or for
them not to be to given basic information about their care and
treatment.
"All trusts must provide a therapeutic environment in which patients can feel safe and recover."
Care services minister Phil Hope said: "It's good news that 73% of
people described their care overall as good, very good or excellent.
"It's also important to remember that nearly half of the people who
responded to this survey had been detained under the Mental Health Act
and had severe mental health problems, which may have affected how safe
they felt.
"It is vital they get the care, support and treatment they need.
"People deserve the best possible care when they reach a crisis
moment in their lives and we are working to improve services further."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
