Mental health crisis services run by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission.
The inspection examined crisis resolution home treatment teams and health-based places of safety across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with inspectors identifying 7 breaches of regulation linked to staffing, safeguarding, delays in urgent care, medicines management and governance.
Inspectors found staff shortages were causing delays to assessments, visits and crisis support, while some workers said they felt unsafe because of low staffing levels. Patients were also unable to access crisis helplines or places of safety when needed in some areas.
The report raises concerns about the environments used for vulnerable patients. At some facilities, there was no direct access to fresh air, while inspectors also found interview rooms without alarms for staff to use in emergencies.
A major concern centred on the use of health-based places of safety, which are designed for people detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Inspectors said some suites were being used as seclusion rooms because of pressure on inpatient beds, despite this being contrary to Mental Health Act guidance.
The report also revealed repeated breaches of the legal 24-hour detention limit for patients held under Section 136.
Inspectors found safeguarding concerns were not always properly raised or recorded, while medicines management varied significantly between teams. On the Isle of Wight, staff said they faced recruitment difficulties and delays obtaining medication, with some workers reportedly travelling between multiple pharmacies before home visits to source medicines for patients.
The CQC report also highlighted a sharp rise in reported suicides across the trust area, increasing from 51 in 2023-24 to 77 in 2024-25. The trust said the increase reflected national trends and the larger population covered following the merger of NHS organisations.
Despite the failings, inspectors said staff treated patients with kindness and compassion, and praised teams for learning from safety incidents and supporting carers.
What doesn’t require improvements on the island!.