'Sexual safety' review of NHS mental health wards launched
NHS staff flag 900 sexual incidents or risks in three-months, but severity of cases uncertain
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Your support makes all the difference.A review of “sexual assault and harassment” on NHS mental health wards has been launched by England’s health and social care watchdog, after a snapshot survey identified 900 incidents or risks reported by staff in a three-month window.
It was triggered after Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors found “sexual incidents” reported by staff at a trust that was already being investigated for housing men and women on the same ward - a clear breach of guidance.
When it broadened its search in the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS), a central database of 60,000 patient safety incident reports, which can include risks that have yet to cause an incident, the CQC found trusts had reported almost 1,000 sexual safety issues.
The CQC said that the cases it identified included verbal sexual harassment, or potential risks posed by men or women sharing a ward, as well as more serious cases of sexual assault.
However there was a lack of standardisation in how these specialist mental health trusts, where patients can reside for weeks or months on end while they are treated, categorised the risks.
In a letter, CQC mental health lead Dr Paul Lelliott said it would interview senior staff about the extent of these issues.
He said ts priority “continues to be to ensure that people using healthcare services are kept safe and that their privacy and dignity are maintained”.
Dr Lelliott added: “We intend to publish a national briefing later in the year, which will outline our detailed findings from this review and make recommendations for the system.
“While we carry out this important work, we encourage NHS trusts to review their incident reports and to consider what action they may need to take on an individual basis, as well as how they are ensuring the sexual safety of patients on their wards in general.”
The Conservatives pledged to eradicate mixed-sex wards in the health service, though The Independent revealed 10,000 cases last year as bed space was squeezed.
Dr Lelliott said work by trusts should “extend beyond” this, because some of the sexual safety reports came from patients on same-sex wards.
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