A HEALTH watchdog has told a mental health trust to make safety improvements.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report directing the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust to make improvements to its psychiatric intensive care units.
It comes following its latest inspection of a 17-bed ward which provides care and treatment for men experiencing mental health difficulties.
The trust, which now runs mental health services in Essex, has already admitted to failures of care relating to the deaths of 11 patients between 2004 and 2015.
Last month, Melanie Leahy and other families rejected an offer by Health Minister Nadine Dorries to hold an independent inquiry, as she is calling for a statutory public enquiry into Essex’s mental health services.
Melanie’s son Matthew, 20, was found dead in his room at Chelmsford’s Linden Centre in 2012.
Ms Leahy said: “We are determined to get to the truth through the full scrutiny of a statutory public inquiry. We must see change, justice and accountability without further delay.”
The CQC team did say, however, patients gave positive feedback about the ward staff and the environment and they did not raise any concerns relating to their safety or the way staff treated them.
It added: “The trust responded quickly to concerns raised during feedback from the inspection and provided assurance on how they intended to address issues.
“The trust took immediate actions to address some concerns, including removal of garden shelters and increasing security measures.”
By Rebecca Jones @rebeccajones932Chief Reporter
