Care by Welsh trust under investigation

Mental health services provided by a Welsh NHS trust are under
investigation following concerns about the quality of care provided
for service users.

The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) said in a statement
that several serious concerns had been raised during a routine
assessment of Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust.

“There have been incidents in the trust’s mental health services
that suggest a serious service failure. There is also evidence of
general problems within the service that in the past do not appear
to have been resolved, but which the trust’s new management team
are committed to addressing,” the statement said.

Rebecca Hill, aged 20, died in 2001 after hanging herself in a
psychiatric unit run by the trust, despite being under close
observation. An inquest into the death in May this year backed her
family’s claim that neglect may have been a contributory
factor.

CHI chief executive Dr Peter Homa said there were significant
concerns about the quality of care provided to mental health
service users.

“The investigation will seek to establish what contributed to the
possible service failures, and whether the trust’s systems can
ensure a suitable standard of care for people with mental health
needs,” he added.