Abstract
BackgroundEstablishing patient safety priorities in psychiatry has received less international attention than in other areas of health care. This study aimed to identify safety issues as described by people in the United Kingdom identifying as mental health service users, carers and professionals.MethodsA cross‐sectional online survey was distributed via social media. Identified safety issues were mapped onto the Yorkshire Contributory Factors Framework (YCFF) which categorizes factors that contribute to patient safety incidents in general hospital settings. Service user and carer responses were described separately from professional responses using descriptive statistics.ResultsOne hundred and eighty‐five responses from 95 service users and carers and 90 professionals were analysed. Seventy different safety issues were identified. These were mapped onto the 17 existing categories of the YCFF and two additional categories created to form the YCFF‐MH. Most frequently identified issues were as follows: “Individual characteristics” (of staff) which included competence and listening skills; “Service process” that contained concerns about waiting times; “Management of staff and staffing levels” dominated by staffing levels; and “External policy context” which included the overall resourcing of services. Professionals identified staffing levels and inadequate community provision more frequently than service users and carers, who in turn identified crisis care more frequently.ConclusionsThis study updates knowledge on stakeholder perceived safety issues across mental health care. It shows a far broader range of issues relating to safety than has previously been described. The YCFF was successfully modified to describe these issues and areas for further coproduced research are suggested.
Highlights
Establishing patient safety priorities in psychiatry has received less international attention than in other areas of health care
The survey received 188 responses from across the United Kingdom three were excluded from the analysis as they were less than 50% complete
The data we present update the issues and demonstrate there is a far broader range of safety issues identified in mental health care services than the threat to self and others that underlies the dominant risk-management approach within mental health services
Summary
Establishing patient safety priorities in psychiatry has received less international attention than in other areas of health care. This study aimed to identify safety issues as described by people in the United Kingdom identifying as mental health service users, carers and professionals. Service user and carer responses were described separately from professional responses using descriptive statistics. These were mapped onto the 17 existing categories of the YCFF and two additional categories created to form the YCFF-MH. Professionals identified staffing levels and inadequate community provision more frequently than service users and carers, who in turn identified crisis care more frequently. Conclusions: This study updates knowledge on stakeholder perceived safety issues across mental health care. It shows a far broader range of issues relating to safety than has previously been described. The YCFF was successfully modified to describe these issues and areas for further coproduced research are suggested
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