Overview

• Inspectors upgraded community-based mental health services from “requires improvement” to “good” in their latest review.
• Mental health crisis care remained at “requires improvement” with failures to meet national four-hour emergency-assessment targets and average crisis-line waits of six minutes.
• The CQC mandated detailed action plans to tackle crisis service gaps, staffing vacancies and ensure timely emergency referrals.
• The report acknowledged the trust’s launch of a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week mental health helpline and heightened Department of Health oversight.
• Service user families maintain that recorded improvements have not translated into safer frontline care.