The government must act urgently on the culture of abuse in mental health care

The investigation by The Independent and Sky News, revealing that 19,899 sexual assaults and incidents have been reported in NHS-run mental health hospitals in the past five years, is a scandal that demands an immediate and wide-ranging response from the government and the NHS.

The astonishing scale of this crisis behind the closed doors of psychiatric wards is a wake-up call which means it must no longer be brushed under the carpet. It is inexcusable that NHS trusts are failing to report a majority of incidents to the police, and to meet standards that are supposed to protect some of society’s most vulnerable people from being harmed in what should be places of safety. In some cases, women have suffered permanent damage as victims of sexual assault, before going into hospital only to be traumatised again by further acts of abuse after being admitted.

It is clear that NHS guidelines introduced after the Care Quality Commission watchdog raised concerns about sexual abuse in 2020 have not been implemented; only six out of 50 hospitals provided evidence they have met the new standards.

The government should now offer more than its customary warm words about giving mental health parity with physical health by ordering an urgent inquiry into sexual safety on mental health wards. Worryingly, the chilling catalogue of abuse our investigation uncovered might only be a small part of an even more horrific story; an inquiry would encourage other victims to come forward. Its scope should extend to private sector hospitals treating NHS patients.

A good start would be for the Conservatives to finally honour the pledge they made in 2010 to end the use of mixed-sex wards, which has since generated more headlines than action. Our investigation found that at least 500 sexual assaults and incidents have been recorded on mixed-sex wards or in mixed-sex communal areas since 2019.

The revelations are yet another reminder that mental health is the Cinderella of the NHS. The crisis in the sector goes much wider. Last week, The Independent revealed that more than 30 staff members are suspended as a result of an internal investigation into allegations of “serious conduct” at Highbury Hospital in Nottingham. The Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs it, was also issued with a warning by the commission over concerns about patient safety at the high-security Rampton Hospital.

Last year, we revealed that at least 2,838 children with mental health needs were being treated in non-psychiatric hospitals because of a lack of specialist staff and an 80 per cent surge in child referrals since 2019.

The lack of priority given to mental health was symbolised when the government dropped a long overdue Mental Health Bill from its King’s Speech in November. Reform of the 40-year-old Mental Health Act is needed to safeguard individual rights and put patients first. It should also address racial and ethnic inequalities; people from minority ethnic backgrounds are up to five times more likely to be detained than white people.

Although there has been a small increase in resources going to mental health services, the gap between supply and demand for them remains vast. More money is needed. Sadly, that may be too much to ask for in an election year in which both the Tories and Labour seem more interested in offering unaffordable tax cuts rather than much-needed investment in our public services. To be fair, Labour has promised to use its limited proposed tax rises to ensure specialist mental health support in every school and cut waiting lists for children.

Both main parties should go much further and recognise that the NHS is about more than waiting lists for physical health problems. Although they would never admit it, politicians might be tempted to think there are “no votes” in mental health. Yet they would do well to remember that one in four people experience mental health issues. They should address what is driving the growing demand rather than shrug it off as a sign of more people being aware of mental health issues.

Money is not the only solution. Our devastating revelations show that we need a cultural change extending from the very top of government down to every mental hospital ward so that this scandal can be ended once and for all.