The Chief Inspector of Hospitals has told Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) that it must continue to make improvements following the latest focused inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
Overall the trust has been rated Requires Improvement.
AWP provides mental health services across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire. The trust also provides specialist mental health services for a wider catchment extending throughout the south west.
During the CQC’s previous comprehensive inspection in May 2016 the trust was told to make improvements in a number of areas. The two main areas of concern were the health based places of safety which were rated as inadequate, and wards for older people which was rated as requires improvement.
During the latest inspection, CQC found improvements had been made in all the areas that were inspected, although not all of the planned improvements had been completed.
In particular, inspectors found there were still significant delays in assessments at the places of safety, used by people needing mental health services in times of crisis. Timescales were still similar to levels at our inspection in May 2016.
The full CQC reports on all the AWP services inspected can be read here.