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Spot checks on 22 mental health wards across Wales | Spot checks on 22 mental health wards across Wales |
(35 minutes later) | |
Spot-checks on 22 mental health wards for elderly patients found no evidence of systemic poor care or neglect. | |
But there was room for improvement in some areas, including making sure patients have daily activities and staff can get effective training. | |
The checks were ordered by the health minister late last year. | |
However, they did not find any repeat of the failings and "institutional abuse" at the former Tawel Fan unit at Denbighshire's Glan Clwyd hospital. | |
Relatives had described patients being treated like they were "in a zoo" in a report released this month. | |
An earlier Trusted To Care report looked at care of elderly patients at two hospitals in Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot. | |
That prompted a round of unannounced spot checks in 70 general wards treating elderly patients at 20 hospitals which found medicine management issues. | |
The latest review checked how older patients with dementia and mental illnesses were being looked after on specialist wards. | |
In the main, the checks found staff "were doing their best to provide good quality care in the face of a number of challenges". | |
As well as issues like nutrition, medicines and continence care, the checks also included how restraints were used, daily activities for patients and how relatives were involved. | As well as issues like nutrition, medicines and continence care, the checks also included how restraints were used, daily activities for patients and how relatives were involved. |
Inspectors included mental health nurses, pharmacists and occupational therapists. | Inspectors included mental health nurses, pharmacists and occupational therapists. |
Visits to 22 wards found "many areas of good and excellent practice" across Wales. | Visits to 22 wards found "many areas of good and excellent practice" across Wales. |
But they also showed room for improvement and "considerable variation in standards and practice". | |
Issues needing action involve: | |
The detailed ward-by-ward reports are being published online. | The detailed ward-by-ward reports are being published online. |
The findings have already been raised with health boards and more than £5m a year will be invested in providing psychiatric liaison services in general hospitals to ensure daily activities are available on all older people's mental health wards. | |
Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: "These spot checks have provided us with assurance that poor care and neglect are not systemic features of the care of elderly mental health patients in Wales. | |
"They also highlight compassionate care provided by staff." | |
"However, the report does acknowledge there is room for further improvement. I expect health boards to continue to develop and improve services for older people with mental health problems both in hospitals and in the community." |