Our response to the CQC report on use of the Mental Health Act

The Care Quality Commission has published a report on use of the Mental Health Act.

Lucy Schonegevel, Associate Director for Policy and Practice at Rethink Mental Illness, said:

“Today’s CQC report puts a spotlight on the mental health emergency we face, highlighting how staff shortages, gaps in community care and rising demand are colliding to put services under unbearable strain. It’s alarming and frankly unacceptable that all too often people’s safety is at risk and they are simply not receiving appropriate care which will be conducive to their recovery. The staggering inequality in the use of restrictive Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) on Black people, which is 11 times over that of White people, is yet more evidence of the urgent need to address systemic racism and implement reform of the Mental Health Act. The soaring number of under 18s admitted to adult psychiatric wards also highlights how pressures can reverberate across the system. While there has been progress towards reform of the Mental Health Act, the government must establish this as a clear priority, while funding urgently needs to reach the front line of mental health and social care to ensure community services are better resourced to support people to live independently, stay well and prevent them from falling into crisis.”