Mind comments on Dispatches

Commenting on Dispatches: Britain's Mental Health Scandal, Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind said:

"Many will find this edition of Dispatches deeply shocking. It's hard to believe that the wards people go to for support when they are at their most unwell are often scary and dangerous places."

"Dispatches has illustrated what service users have been telling Mind for years. Many mental health wards don't provide a safe environment, let alone a therapeutic one. If you had a mental health problem, you wouldn't expect to be prescribed a six week course of boredom, frustration and fear on a miserable, dirty ward. But that's all too often the reality of inpatients' experiences.

"The first step in mental healthcare must be making people feel safe and comfortable. Until this is achieved it's very hard to make any progress. Mental health is a Government priority area - but it's impossible to imagine these conditions being tolerated on any other kind of wards. There are several Department of Health policies which still need to be fully implemented."