Quality standard

Quality statement 7: Inpatient contact with staff

Quality statement 7: Inpatient contact with staff

Quality statement

People in hospital for mental health care have daily one-to-one contact with mental healthcare professionals known to them and regularly see other members of the multidisciplinary mental healthcare team. [2011]

Rationale

Staying in hospital for mental health care can be a difficult and worrying experience for some people. Having regular one-to-one contact with known healthcare professionals helps to build trust and confidence, reduce concerns and develop relationships. This supports a person to manage their health and the impact it has on them more effectively. Regularly seeing other members of the multidisciplinary team gives the person the opportunity to discuss any concerns and be actively involved in the coordination and management of their care.

Quality measures

Structure

a) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that people staying in hospital can see a known mental healthcare professional on a one-to-one basis every day for at least 1 hour.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that people staying in hospital can see their consultant on a one-to-one basis at least once a week for at least 20 minutes.

Data source: Local data collection.

c) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that people staying in hospital are given an opportunity to meet a specialist mental health pharmacist.

Data source: Local data collection.

Process

a) Proportion of people staying in hospital for mental health care who saw a mental healthcare professional known to the person using services on a one-to-one basis every day for at least 1 hour.

Numerator – the number of people in the denominator who saw a mental healthcare professional known to the person using services on a one-to-one basis every day for at least 1 hour.

Denominator – the number of people admitted as inpatients to mental health services.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Proportion of people staying in hospital for mental health care who saw their consultant on a one-to-one basis at least once a week for at least 20 minutes.

Numerator – the number of people in the denominator who saw their consultant on a one-to-one basis at least once a week for at least 20 minutes.

Denominator – the number of people admitted as inpatients to mental health services.

Data source: Local data collection.

c) Proportion of people staying in hospital for mental health care who saw a specialist mental health pharmacist.

Numerator – the number of people in the denominator who saw a specialist mental health pharmacist.

Denominator – the number of people admitted as inpatients to mental health services.

Data source: Local data collection.

Outcome

a) Evidence from experience surveys and feedback that people staying in hospital for mental health care see a mental healthcare professional known to the person using services on a one-to-one basis every day for at least 1 hour.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Evidence from experience surveys and feedback that people staying in hospital for mental health care see their consultant on a one-to-one basis at least once a week for at least 20 minutes.

Data source: Local data collection.

c) Evidence from experience surveys and feedback that people staying in hospital for mental health care know they can meet a specialist mental health pharmacist.

Data source: Local data collection.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as mental health trusts) ensure that systems are in place for people staying in hospital for mental health care to have daily one-to-one contact with known mental healthcare professionals and regularly see other members of the multidisciplinary mental healthcare team.

Health and social care professionals (such as psychiatrists, mental health nurses and pharmacists) ensure that people staying in hospital for mental health care have daily one-to-one contact with known mental healthcare professionals and regularly see other members of the multidisciplinary mental healthcare team.

Commissioners (such as clinical commissioning groups and NHS England) ensure they commission services that provide people staying in hospital for mental health care with daily one-to-one contact with known mental healthcare professionals and the opportunity to see other members of the multidisciplinary mental healthcare team.

People staying in hospital for mental health care see a mental healthcare professional who they know every day, and regularly see other members of their multidisciplinary mental healthcare team.