Decision Report 202401449

Summary

C, an advocate, complained on behalf of A. A had been detained by the board under mental health legislation. C complained as to whether the board had taken steps to address the acknowledged deficiencies in discharge planning experienced by A, and whether A's personal belongings were securely stored in a way which allowed patients to access them.

The board said that there was evidence of discharge planning, however they accepted that A’s need for district nursing care was omitted. The process had been reviewed, and the board were happy to provide a report to demonstrate progress had been made. The board said that patients’ rooms were lockable and while staff had the keys for rooms, patient access was not restricted, beyond the need for staff to open and close rooms for individuals. Restricted items were stored separately, and patients would be supported by staff in accessing these.

We took independent advice from a mental health clinical adviser. We found that the board’s response demonstrated that they were taking reasonable steps to review the discharge process. However, we found that A’s discharge planning did not include the district nursing team. We upheld this aspect of the complaint but made no recommendations. We found that the board’s approach to the storage of possessions was reasonable. We did not uphold this aspect of the complaint.