• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / Report raises concerns over use of community treatment orders

Report raises concerns over use of community treatment orders

By guest on 23rd July 2009 Category: News Archive

Listen

More than 14 times as many community treatment orders (CTOs) have been issued to people with mental health problems than the Department of Health predicted, according to the care and health inspectorate.
The concerns were raised in the final biennial report from the old Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC) – issued by the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) which took over its duties in April.
The CQC said 2, 868 orders had been issued by the end of June 2009, compared with a prediction of just 200 by the end of their first year of operation in three months’ time.
The commission said it was concerned at the shortage of information about how the controversial orders were being used since coming into force last November.
CTOs were designed to treat people in the community, and so avoid compulsory detention in hospital, but campaigners warned during the government’s battle to force through its Mental Health Act in 2007 that they could be overused.
The report also says there could be an even higher over-representation of people from black and ethnic minorities among those issued with CTOs than among those detained in hospital.
The CQC said the numbers of CTOs issued had put a “strain” on the system and led to delays by the appointed doctors who review their care and treatment plans. It is now trying to recruit more doctors.
The report on the treatment of people detained under the Mental Health Act in England also says nearly three in ten acute wards are running at more than 100 per cent occupancy.
And it says there is an increasing trend towards the use of locked wards in acute care, with a need for more patient choice and therapeutic activity.
It also finds “worrying” evidence of untrained staff using restraint procedures, with three inquests into patient deaths during 2008 partly blaming a lack of staff training.
The report also says six patients who were supposed to have been under continuous observation have died by hanging or self-strangulation since 2005.
And it says nearly a quarter of a sample of 500 detained people had not received information they were entitled to about their rights and treatment.
The mental health charity Mind said the report was “shocking” and revealed “shameful” conditions in many wards, with “entrenched” poor practice, and overstretched staff who “often lack the basic skills to prevent tragedies”.
21 July 2009

Share this post:

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on Reddit

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

Image shows a man wearing glasses sitting by an open laptop The text reads: Free Career Support for Disabled People Our services include: 1-2-1 Coaching Online Career Resources Find Support near you Search for Inclusive Jobs Career Events and Workshops Visit the Evenbreak Career Hive today to find out how we can help you

Access

Latest Stories

Government’s long-awaited accessible housing plan ‘does not go far enough’

Government’s advisers say ministers’ plans will not deliver an accessible railway

Thousands of disabled customers waiting months for cars, Motability admits

Commission ‘will hold government to account over pandemic failures’

Grenfell: Court challenge for Home Office over rejection of evacuation policy

More than half of care homes inspected are failing, says regulator

MPs’ silence on deaths evidence ‘shows they have abandoned benefit claimants’

Staff levels ‘completely inadequate’ for rail access, say government advisers

Watchdog threatens government with legal action over ‘unacceptable’ detentions

Benefit claimants back up MP’s claims of assessment secret tricks

Advice and Information

Readspeaker

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web