Herefordshire in top 20 per cent for mental health services

NHS Herefordshire, the leader for health in the county, has been ranked in the top 20 per cent of primary care trusts in England for the quality of its in-patient mental health care.

The survey, carried out by the Quality Care Commission, is the first to research patients’ views on the quality of care they received as a mental health in-patient and it is likely to be repeated every other year.

Respondents were surveyed after leaving care and asked to score various aspects of the care they received while being an inpatient at the Stonebow Unit in Hereford. 

The survey found that patients felt that nurses and psychiatrists were knowledgeable about them and their condition and that they were given enough time to discuss any issues with them. The Stonebow Unit scored very highly for the provision of medical tests on physical health and wellbeing, which are a vital part of the care provided to those with mental health problems.

Respondents were asked about their experience of being discharged.  They said that they were given enough warning about being discharged and that their family and home situation were also taken into account when they were being discharged.

Director of integrated commissioning for Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire, Dr Ian Williams, said: “This is the first year that there has been a survey carried out purely with inpatients rather than with community mental health patients.  We’re really pleased that the survey has shown that the quality of care that we provide is good enough to be in the top 20 per cent in the country and meets our patients’ needs. 

“The survey showed that patients thought that information about out-of-hours contact numbers could have been better when they were discharged.  We have already made some changes to improve this prior to the publication of the survey and we believe that this should now meet patient needs.”