A Safer Place To Be

Urgent action is needed to improve access to health-based places of safety for people experiencing a mental health crisis, a new report we’ve published shows.

Too many of these places of safety are turning people away because they are already full and some refuse to help those who are intoxicated or exhibiting disturbed behaviour, we found.

We’ve published the results of our survey of the NHS mental health trusts and social enterprises that provide these services alongside recommendations for how providers and commissioners should improve.

Dr Paul Lelliott, our Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals and mental health lead, said that while a great deal has been done to improve mental health crisis care, more work is needed.

“What our survey of health-based places of safety found is not good enough,” Dr Lelliott said. “There would be a national outcry if people experiencing a physical health crisis were treated in the same way.

“Imagine if people who had had a heart attack or stroke, were regularly turned away from an A&E department due to a lack of staff or beds, or if people who had been seriously injured in an accident or attacked were told they couldn’t receive care because they had been drinking or were showing signs of being disturbed.”

You can download the report or find out more about it below.

http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/20141021%20CQC_SaferPlace_2014_07_FINAL%20for%20WEB.pdf