12/01/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/02/2021 03:33
An annual survey from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has found that people's experiences of mental health care continue to be poor, with people's experience of some areas of care at their lowest point in eight years.
CQC's Community Mental Health Survey published today (Wednesday 1 December 2021) shows that nearly half of respondents reported that their mental health had deteriorated due to changes made to their care and treatment due to the pandemic.
This year's survey received responses from 17,322 people who used NHS community mental health services in England in 2020 and 2021.
People with more challenging and severe non-psychotic disorders, as well as those with complicated cognitive impairment and dementia disorders, consistently reported worse than average experiences when compared with those with psychotic disorders. Those aged 18-35 also reported worse than average experiences compared to those aged 66 and older.
The survey found people who received telephone-based care reported worse than average experiences in the key themes of overall experience, access, communication and respect and dignity. In contrast, people who received care using video conferencing technology reported better than average experiences in these areas.
The findings include:
The survey results have been released for providers to review the experiences of people who use their services and to make improvements where needed. CQC will continue to use the findings as part of its wider monitoring of the quality of mental healthcare in England.
Jemima Burnage, CQC's Deputy Chief Inspector and lead for mental health said:
"Not being able to access the right care and support when it is needed increases the risk of an individuals' mental health deteriorating. This is a longstanding challenge, which has been exacerbated by the increased demand on mental health services due to COVID-19. It is therefore deeply concerning to see that people's experiences of community mental health services are so poor, particularly at a time when the number of people needing expert care for a mental health condition has increased.
"The pandemic has placed severe strain on all health services and the staff working in them, including mental health services. The negative impact of working under this sustained pressure, including anxiety, stress and burnout, cannot be underestimated. As we have previously reported, people's experiences of mental health services were poor prior to the pandemic, which is why it has never been more important that services are given the right support to be able to meet increased demand.
"The NHS Long Term Plan made a number of commitments for mental health services, some of which have been implemented, and this work must continue so people are able to access the right care when they need it. The development of Integrated Care Systems is also a vital opportunity for mental health services to become more joined up with other services, improving outcomes for people with long-term mental health conditions and achieving true parity of esteem between physical and mental health."
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