Watchdog highlights failures in mental health care

The commission assessed all 69 mental health trusts across England and found that nearly a quarter of the beds were run by organisations given a 'poor' rating. The Commission rated trusts as excellent, good, fair or poor. No trust was rated excellent in all four of the assessment criteria.

The report also highlighted the problem of violence against staff and patients -45% of nurses and 15% of patients said they had been assaulted last year.

It also found that in a six month period patients detained under the Mental Health Act went missing from trusts without permission more than 2,7000 times.

In total eight trusts were rated as excellent, accounting for 843 beds, 20 were good, accounting for 2,808 beds, 30 were fair, accounting for 3,985 beds, and 11 week, accounting for 2,249 beds.

Healthcare Commission chief executive Anna Walker acknowledged mental health units were often 'tough' places to provide care, but added the findings were still concerning.

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