Mind comments on terms of reference for rapid review into data on mental health inpatient settings
The UK government have today announced the terms of reference for rapid review into data on mental health inpatient settings. These explain what the rapid review will examine, and the purpose, objectives and scope of the review. It confirms the review will be delivered to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) by spring 2023.
This review has been announced following a number of reports of abusive mistreatment in mental health inpatient settings across the country over the last 6 months.
Responding to the terms, Gemma Byrne, Head of Health, Policy and Campaigns at Mind, said:
“The UK government’s rapid review, if carried out effectively, has the potential to provide invaluable information on how failures in mental health inpatient settings can be better identified. However, what it seems this review will not provide are learnings on how the UK government and NHS can prevent appalling treatment from happening in the future and urgently address the poor treatment still going on today. Identifying problems is not enough – we need prevention and solutions.
“Anyone that goes into hospital for their mental health deserves to receive safe, compassionate and therapeutic care, but this is far from what is currently being delivered. To get to that point, we need to see widespread systemic change across inpatient mental health care. The UK government's rapid review is a step in the right direction, but there’s a long way to go. We need the UK government to launch a full statutory inquiry into failings in inpatient mental health services where the voices of people with lived experience and their loved ones are heard and essential systemic changes are identified. This needs to go hand in hand with the overdue long-term investment mental health services need to deliver these changes.”
