As reported by Border Telegraph, a watchdog warns that safety investigations after mental health deaths often feel meaningless to families and fail to drive real change
Safety investigations which occur after a person died during or shortly after care during a stay in a mental health facility are often seen as a “tick box exercise” and could be “compounding harm” for those affected, according to a new report.
The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) said there was evidence that the healthcare system “is not learning” from patient deaths.
A new report from the patient safety watchdog highlights how bereaved families have described having to “fight” to be involved in the investigation into the death of their loved one.
Families said they wanted safety investigations into the death of their loved one to “mean something”, but many described their involvement in the process as “tokenistic”.
The report also describes how some families believe a lack of person-centred care can leave patients “feeling hopeless, causing them unnecessary distress”.
Nichola Crust, HSSIB senior safety investigator, said: “Whilst the report does paint a sobering picture, it also does pinpoint the opportunities for improvement, through our findings and safety recommendations.
“We emphasise areas that should be prioritised to remove the barriers and limitations to learning – only then will the system see an improvement in patient safety, a reduction in compounded harm and ultimately a reduction in deaths in inpatient care.”
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