Improving inpatient services

An admission to a hospital ward is the most restrictive form of care and treatment available and, for many people, it is not the best way to support their recovery.

For some people, it can actually have an adverse impact on their health and wellbeing and lead to poorer life outcomes.

In 2024, we embarked upon our Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Transformation and Culture of Care Programme, which aims to improve outcomes for people who require a spell of hospital care and to improve their overall experience. Our aim is to use hospital admission only in those situations where it is the appropriate thing to do, based on the evidence of what works with different types of condition.

We are striving to ensure that care is delivered in a compassionate and therapeutic environment and in a way that is trauma-informed, working with people to understand any traumatic experiences they have had and how these can be supported in hospital in a way that minimises the risk of re-traumatisation.

When a person is admitted to hospital, they will have a clear, coproduced plan of care and treatment - including physical care - and we will do everything possible to facilitate a prompt discharge, with a clear plan for care and support once they leave hospital.

Our inpatient teams work alongside partner organisations, including the VCSE sector and local authorities, to optimise the right support being in place for discharge, thereby improving outcomes for people and reducing the risk of re-admission or relapse in the community.

We will always try and select the nearest appropriate hospital ward to a person's home, so that they can maintain their family and support networks, but this is not always possible. As well as improving the experience for people using our services, avoiding unnecessary admissions and minimising lengths of stay will also enable us to make the most effective use of a relatively low number of hospital beds.