The CQC have given a name to the review of crisis care that has been pending for a few weeks now. There is therefore no other way to start this post than with a choon! —
The review that was published at midnight arises from the Crisis Care Concordat which was published in February 2014 and which has led to each area of England developing its own action plan to remove the barriers each area has.
Here are the crisis care review resources –
- The full report
- The summary version
- The easy-read version
- The CQC press release
The CQC report is sobering reading in many respects and a considerable piece of work. One hundred and ten pages in total so I’d encourage the sixteen page summary report for most who are tempted. There are various highlights to the report which have been covered in a BBC news article and I’m sure we’ll see other media during the day.
The headlines from the report, after an extensive period of research including patient surveys –
- 42% of patients don’t get the care they need
- Police and paramedics are often most caring to those in crisis
- Police and paramedics are often the most accessible and most likely to ensure a timely response
- A&E staff are perceived to lack compassion to those in crisis
- The quality of crisis care received depends too much on where someone lives.
Winner of the President’s Medal,
the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Winner of the Mind Digital Media Award
All views expressed are my own – they do not represent the views of any organisation.
(c) Michael Brown, 2015
I try to keep this blog up to date, but inevitably over time, amendments to the law as well as court rulings and other findings from inquests and complaints processes mean it is difficult to ensure all the articles and pages remain current. Please ensure you check all legal issues in particular and take appropriate professional advice where necessary.
Government legislation website – www.legislation.gov.uk
Mental Health Cop 
Complicated issue as I suspect mental health services would say a) that in a crisis they can’t really do much, b) if drink or drugs then it is not not their issue c) if precipitated by real life issues then not a mental health issue d) If some illnesses eg personality disorders then not much they can do short term.
I sort of see where they are coming from, If someone is self harming or attempting suicide there isn’t much that can be done short term apart from stopping people doing it….which then starts to sound suspiciously like a police issue. If there is no appetite for keeping people in hospital for long stretches of time (possibly months) then suicidal, distressed people will inevitably be in the community. I know someone who was lower risk after a suicide attempt than before- so would never benefit from a short term hospital admission
I’ll have to read through your report in greater detail when I have time tonight. I think that as we find better ways to handle our populations dealing with mental health that our environment will be safer. If we don’t fail people by letting them fall through the cracks then it will have positive effects throughout society.