Mental health patients in west London rated the standard of their overall care as ‘significantly worse’ than the national average, according to a study released this week.
People who are looked after by West London Mental Health Trust, which runs services in Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow, found it harder than most to understand care plans covering their mental health needs, and were less happy about the extent to which their own views were taken into account when their care plans were drawn up.
Satisfaction levels were also significantly worse than average in other areas, such as the availability of talking therapy, in which patients talk through their mental health issues with qualified staff, and the efforts made by trust workers to involve family members or close friends in patients’ treatment.
The findings are based on a survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in which 233 patients using services in west London between July and September last year were asked more than 50 questions about different aspects of their care.
Cynthia Bower, CQC chief executive, said the survey showed community mental health services have improved in recent years, but also highlighted areas which were ‘falling short’.
She said: “We know that involving people in their own care and ensuring they understand their treatment, helps people to get better faster. Yet these are the areas that need the most improvement.
“It is important that trusts look at the survey results carefully and consider whether, firstly, they are assessing people’s needs properly, and secondly, whether they are giving them the appropriate level of support.”
Peter Cubbon the new chief executive of West London Mental Health Trust, said improvements have already been made in certain areas since the period covered by the study.
“Six months on from the survey itself, we’ve shown measurable improvements in some areas,” he said. “But there’s no more important test of quality than service user feedback, and this must be a reminder to us that embedding change in some key areas remains our focus in order to improve patient care across the board.”
A new management team appointed at the trust earlier this year has made several changes to procedures. New patients are now given physical health checks when they are admitted, and the trust is about to launch a campaign on the importance of patient involvement in care planning. Workshops will also be staged in the community.
Steve Trenchard, the trust’s director of nursing and patient experience said: “We know that whatever we do, it’s important that real improvements are made that demonstrate to patients and carers that we have taken their concerns seriously.”
Fulham chronicle uk