Major mental health investigation announced

As reported by DfE, The Healthcare Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) reveals terms for a comprehensive review into mental health settings, aiming to enhance patient, staff, and community safety, with findings to be published throughout the year

The HSSIB and its predecessor, the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB), has worked since June last year to determine the scope of the investigation and have been reviewing relevant evidence.

The aims of the investigation include learning from impatient mental health deaths, improve patient safety, helping to provide safe care during transition from children and young people to adults in mental health services and create conditions for staff to deliver safe and therapeutic care.

The findings from the HSSIB investigation, which will include consideration of patient and staff safety regarding allegations of sexual assault and rape, will be published over the course of the year to drive improvements in patient safety and NHS mental health services. The investigation will conclude by the end of 2024.

HSSIB will engage with patients, families and carers, as well as local and national healthcare organisations, as part of its review.

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said:

Families, staff and the public deserve answers when things go wrong in mental health settings.

This review will identify ways we can improve mental health care, protect patients and the public and create a safe working environment for staff.

It follows the launch of a special review by the Care Quality Commission into Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, where Valdo Calocane was treated for paranoid schizophrenia before he killed Barnaby Webber, and Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates.