Press release: Mental Health Network comments on the Healthcare Commission acute inpatient review

23 Jul 2008

Commenting on the Healthcare Commission's review, Steve Shrubb, the director of the Mental Health Network which represents the majority of mental health trusts, said:

"While it is clear that there are still places where acute inpatient services are not acceptable it is also clear that a great deal of progress has been made in the last 8 years and most acute inpatient wards offer a good or fair level of care.

"The focus on offering alternatives to hospital treatment in the community has led to a group of acute inpatients with more challenging needs.  At the same time, inner city communities still present a particularly difficult set of problems.

"Those identified as providing better services see their wards as part of an acute pathway that brings together other services such as crisis teams and home support into a system that puts the patient at the centre.  As the Healthcare Commission makes clear, the NHS can provide excellent acute inpatient care and it is this best practice that needs to be spread more widely. The NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network continues to be a key partner in the national acute mental health project board which is working to support trusts in making improvements"

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. The Mental Health Network represents the majority of mental health trusts. It was launched in spring 2007 to provide a distinct voice for providers of NHS mental health services. 
   
2. The Mental Health Network is part of a national acute mental health project board - a formal partnership including the Care Service Improvement Partnership - National Institute for Mental Health in England acute programme and the Department of Health. It works to provide a collective approach to delivering mental health policy, service redesign and better outcomes for acute care service users. The board has co-ordinated a range of projects to improve provision, including Star Wards, an initiative led by a service user to improve daily experiences and outcomes for people in mental health inpatient wards.
   
3. The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

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