BPS comments on latest HSSIB investigation

Responding to the Health Services Safety Investigations Body's investigation into mental health services, President of the British Psychological Society Dr Roman Raczka said: 

"These latest findings from the Health Services Safety Investigations Body make for distressing reading. Patients already face record waiting times for mental health treatment, they deserve high quality care in a safe and secure environment when they are finally able to access the support they need. 

"Undoubtedly the issues raised in this investigation are caused by a long-term lack of investment in services and infrastructure. The government should seize the initiative and use next week's budget to properly fund mental health services. This includes growing the mental health workforce, which will allow people to get the expert support and help they need and without long delays."

Some of the key findings from the investigation include: 

• The development of psychologically safe and therapeutic social environments was not always possible because of demands on services, workforce constraints, workforce knowledge and skill development, and cultural influences.
• Patients in mental health inpatient settings did not always feel safe and staff were not always able to develop therapeutic relationships with patients in support of their care and safety. Best practice standards for care were not embedded across inpatient settings.
• Workforce challenges across the multidisciplinary workforce had negatively influenced the ability of staff to develop therapeutic relationships with patients and therefore patient safety had been affected.
• Wards were not always staffed to ensure patients could access the knowledge and skills of a multidisciplinary team. Some patients had no or limited access to professionals such as dietitians or speech and language therapists.
• The built environments (estates and physical environments) of inpatient settings varied. Some environments were not therapeutic, did not contribute to formation of therapeutic relationships, and had created situations where patients and staff could and had been harmed.
• The short-, medium- and long-term investment requirements for safe and therapeutic built environments across mental health inpatient settings were not always known at regional and national levels.

The full report can be found on HSSIB's Website.