Patients at risk in ‘crumbling’ mental health wards, NHS leaders warn

Patient safety is at risk in “crumbling” NHS mental health hospitals starved of the money needed to improve dilapidated buildings, new data has revealed.

Hundreds of vulnerable mentally ill patients are still being cared for in 350 old dormitory-style wards, 20 years after the NHS was told to provide all patients with en-suite rooms. A lack of funding to refurbish hospitals has also meant too many wards still have ligature points that patients can use to try to harm themselves.

NHS leaders said the lack of cash from the government meant they could not deal with warnings issued by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the sector’s watchdog.

A survey of mental health trust leaders by NHS Providers has now found bosses are worried the state of psychiatric wards is undermining their ability to keep patients safe.

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Source: The Independent, 20 February 2020