Wendy Telfer

“It was recognised at inquest that there is a frequent need for patients with significant mental health needs to increasingly be cared for in a physical care environment, due to concurrent physical and mental health needs, and due to an increasing difficulty in sourcing psychiatric beds, which often requires a wait on a general ward. It was also acknowledged that the training of the physical healthcare staff "needs to improve'”

“From the evidence there was clear confusion regarding the application of the Mental Health Act in the physical care environment, which led in this case to [the deceased] being allowed to leave the ward unaccompanied and without transport, which could have been avoided with better understanding of the availabie restrictive legislation”

“[the deceased] was to be admitted to a psychiatric bed at one stage of this final hospital stay, but she could not be transferred immediately due to the lack of beds”

“The Court was advised that much of the difficulty is delayed discharge of patients, and it is acknowledged that this is a wider issue of social and community care and resources”