Our data told us

We are experiencing the symptoms of growing demand, historic investment levels that do not match current demand and commissioning gaps in meeting people's needs.

Our organisation is challenged by a variety of difficulties including a relatively long length of stay on our acute mental health wards, long waiting lists for specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), a limited capacity to deliver effective treatments for people with complex emotional needs and a relatively low number of hospital beds compared with many other parts of the country.

Lengths of stay

We have a relatively high length of stay on our acute psychiatric wards and a relatively low number of beds for the size of our population. An admission to a hospital ward is the most restrictive form of care and treatment available. It can be lifesaving, and hospital should rightly be seen as a safe and caring place. For some people, however, it is not the best way to support their recovery. In some cases, for example people with mental health conditions that are not a psychosis, it can actually have an adverse impact on a person's health and wellbeing and lead to poorer life outcomes. We also know that we detain people with complex emotional needs, under the Mental Health Act, more often and for longer periods than other organisations.