NHS will continue to fail people with mental health conditions without urgent reforms, warns ombudsman – GWC Mag

Patients with mental health conditions are being put at risk when they leave hospital care and the UK government must take urgent preventative action, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has said.1

Ombudsman Rob Behrens called on the government to bring in the “desperately needed” reforms in the long awaited mental health bill, which would impose a statutory duty to create a care and treatment plan for everyone detained under the Mental Health Act and ensure that all relevant parties are included in decision making.

His report analysed over 100 cases revealing failures in the care of patients with a mental health condition. These included families not being informed about discharge, lack of communication between teams caring for a patient, and failings in assessing requests to leave hospital. These failures can lead to poorer outcomes, including an increased risk of suicide, said Behrens.

The report highlighted in detail lapses in the cases …