Mental healthcare patients 'satisfied'

A majority of mental health facility inpatients said they were satisfied with the service they received, a survey by the Mental Health Commission has found.

However, more than half of inpatients said they were not aware of their hospital’s complaints procedures and more than 40 per cent said the side-effects of medication were not explained.

The survey of 710 discharged inpatients of acute mental health services found high levels of satisfaction with hospital staff, but lower levels of satisfaction with their access to information.

Responses to questions relating to the treatment received from healthcare professionals all indicated satisfaction levels in the region of 90 per cent.

Some 87.2 per cent of respondents said they trusted their healthcare team and 86.8 per cent agreed they were treated with dignity and respect.

In relation to patient privacy and confidentiality 93.6 per cent said they were satisfied with the level of privacy afforded while being examined, 92.4 per cent said staff protected their confidentiality and 90.2 per cent said it was possible to have a private conversation with their healthcare team.

On the issue of information almost a quarter of respondents said the purpose of tests, procedures or new medication, was not always explained and more than two fifths said possible side-effects of medication were not outlined.

Almost a third said they wished to make a complaint about their stay and of those who complained, more than half said they were not satisfied with how their complaint was dealt with.

More than half said they were not aware that they could access their patient information records using the Freedom of Information Act and a similar number were unaware of the complaints procedure within the hospital.