‘Mental health hospitalisation should only be the last resort’

Hospital treatment should be a last resort for people with mental health problems, a Lincolnshire health director said.

Figures show the county has one of the lowest rates for people being committed to hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Some 475 people in Lincolnshire were detained in 2021/22.

This is a rate of 62 per 100,000 residents – around a third less than the national average.

Compulsory treatment under the Act happens when a person with mental health issues is considered a risk to themselves or others.

Investment has been made in community services to help people who are struggling without needing hospitalisation, the NHS says.

However, there has been criticism that local mental health services are still failing users.

The parents of 14-year-old Henry Tucker, who committed suicide despite being detained under the Act, said they were “overwhelmed” by the amount of organisations involved.

Chris Higgins, Director of Operations at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, says that investment has been made so people can be treated at home.

“We are committed as a Lincolnshire health and care system to preventing people from requiring hospital treatment,” he said.

“Where people need specialised mental health support, we have introduced new crisis assessment and support services, which include a psychiatric clinical decisions service and mental health urgent assessment centre.

“These services provide a safe space to undertake a longer assessment of people’s needs and allow the teams additional time to put in place the right care and treatment.

“This may include additional crisis and home treatment, where it is safe and effective, or discussion regarding a voluntary admission to our inpatient services if necessary.

“We also have 24hr crisis helplines for adults and children, as well as community Night Light Cafes – which are run by community partners. Volunteers provide a listening ear to anyone struggling while also being able to signpost for additional support before issues escalate.

“We recognise there is always more we can do,. so we continue work to expand our community offer through our community mental health transformation programme, as well as work with partners across health, care and police to ensure our crisis services are meeting people’s needs.”

The trust previously said that it had learnt from Henry’s tragic case, and had secured money so that families had a single point of access.