I am an IMHA supporting patients detained on an acute NHS ward.
Staffing circumstances are reportedly becoming more and more strained to the extent that patient are increasingly unable to access the s17 leave granted to them. Sometimes patients granted leave doesn’t happen for up to 5 days reportedly due to low staffing.
I have raised the problems being caused to patients with the ward manager, and intend to take the matter further (as an advocate). And I have informed patients about their entitlement to complain.
Are you able to help me with the legal framework please in order to empower the patients rights.
Thanks
Hi,
this is a longstanding issue nationally and if the local complaints procedure has been tried unsuccessfully you could inform CQC. Quick example of how longstanding this is, here is a quote from the Mental Health Act Commission’s (CQC’s predecessor)10th Biennial report back in 2003:
9.33 At the end of this reporting period (March 2003) most of England and Wales experienced unseasonably fine weather. The Commission was contacted by patients and advocates who were frustrated at the lack of access to outdoors offered to detained patients during this time: in some units patients had not been outside for over a week. Pressures on staffing levels were suggested as one major cause of this problem. Where patients’ access to fresh air is determined by the availability of escorting staff, the Commission expects the staffing establishment of wards to take this into account. Denying patients access to fresh air is not only a denial of a basic rights but is also likely to be causative of a number of management problems that will, in turn, cause much greater pressures on staff and patients alike.
Recommendation 29: Where patients’ access to fresh air is determined by the
availability of escorting staff, the Commission expects the staffing establishment of wards to take this into account.
Hi Dr,
Thank you for your candid response. I appreciate how frustrating this must be to clinicians.
Apart from the likely and predictable impact upon patients mental health, a significant observation that I regularly make is the impact that this has on the ability of clinical teams to develop positive and trusting relationship with patients.
This is in circumstances when patients are granted leave during a review - and are thankful to the clinician / look forward to their leave. Maybe to go to the shops and buy some essentials / or just go for. A walk in the fresh air. But having built up their expectations, are told that their granted leave can’t happen due to staff shortages.
That would impact upon anyone’s well-being, and trust of the teams.
And in addition, due to the additional people left physically on wards they become ‘crowded’ and tensions arise.