NHS abuse of mental health patients ‘endemic’

Figures obtained by The Times have shown that the use of physical force is ‘endemic’ in the mental health system.

Record levels of violence and abuse against vulnerable patients at mental health trusts were reported last year amid accusations of ‘endemic’ use of force in the NHS.

Over 5,000 serious incidents were investigated, including hundreds of suicides, dozens of killings, more than 2,000 cases of self-harm and even deaths of children.

The majority of serious incidents relate to the quality of treatment and patient safety, showing more than a thousand complaints relating to care, including delays and use of medications, 2,170 incidents of self-harm, 371 suicides, 198 confidential information leakers, and 199 cases of abuse of patients.

The figures come after High Court judge James Munby lambasted the ‘disgraceful lack of provision’ for a teenage girl at acute risk of taking her own life.

The Times found that the number involving abuse of patients rose from 106 to 2013-14 to 199 last year. Investigations carried out into abuse of child patients rose from 9 to 39 in a single year. Figures from the NHS show that 103,027 people spent time in specialist mental health treatment in 2015-16.

The figures from NHS England in 2015-16 met the serious incident guidance, meaning that they are significant enough to warrant an investigation.

The serious incident reporting guidance has been updated twice since 2013 to transfer monitoring powers to clinical commissioning groups and NHS England after the closure of the strategic health authorities and primary care trusts and to amend incident categories.

Norman Lamb, the former Liberal Democrat health minister, said the force was used ‘far too much’ in mental health treatment.

He said: “It’s just intolerable — the trusts need to be accountable. The use of physical force is endemic in the system. Abuse of patients, on the face of it, can be characterised as gross misconduct. The system is under an impossible strain and it shows that we’re not providing enough resources to good, preventive care.”

A spokesman for NHS Improvement said: “We are looking at ways to transform mental health services, tackle the stigma attached and establish a way of working that can support the mental health workforce.”

A spokesman for Department of Health said: “If there are serious incidents where patient safety has been put at risk, we expect mental health trusts to investigate immediately. Serious incidents remain rare across the NHS and our guidance makes clear restraint should only be used as a last resort.”