Vulnerable patients with mental health conditions are being badly let down by the NHS, causing them and their families needless suffering and distress, according to a new report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman also found that NHS mental healthcare staff can lack the capacity, skills and training they need to do their job effectively, and do not always have the support they need to learn from mistakes and omissions.
Following an analysis of over 200 mental health complaints upheld by the Ombudsman, the report highlights ive common failings that are compromising patients’ safety and dignity: Failure to diagnose and/or treat the patient: One investigation found that a woman was treated with anti-psychotic drugs for a psychotic episode but had a life-threatening reaction to them. Her physical symptoms were dismissed and she died.