Date Published: 19 July 2006

Mental Health charity calls for zero tolerance policy of violence and abuse in inpatient units

In response to the publication of the National Patient Safety Agency's report With safety in mind: mental health services and patient safety, Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, today said:

" We welcome this report, which is the first of its kind to explore the issue of patient safety within mental health services. However, we believe that these levels of violence and abuse are the tip of the iceberg and it is scandalous that such abuse is allowed to take place. If a woman went into hospital for a heart operation and was raped during her stay, it would be a national scandal. But women who are raped while in mental health services are simply not believed. People with mental health problems are treated as second class citizens and this discrimination is unacceptable in this day and age.

_ It is time that a zero tolerance policy was implemented to protect men and women in acute inpatient units. Managers need to take responsibility for their staff and ensure abuse is eradicated. This should be an environment where people who are at their most vulnerable can feel safe and protected. Violence and abuse cannot be allowed to continue."

The full report "The first report of the National Reporting and Learning System and the Patient Safety Observatory With safety in mind: mental health services and patient safety (Patient Safety Observatory Report 2)" is no-longer available from the original source, the (UK) National Patient Safety Agency website.

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