Behind locked doors at psychiatric hospital as 'shameful' services struggle to cope
ITV News Health Correspondent Rebecca Barry goes to Oxleas House, a secure psychiatric hospital as struggling facilities in the UK reach breaking point
We’ve been given rare access to film what goes on behind the locked doors of a psychiatric hospital.
We’re at Oxleas House in South London, where people are treated when their mental health reaches crisis point.
Fifteen out of the 20 women on the ward we visited had been sectioned; that means they’ve been detained for their safety or the protection of others.
Some of the patients have depression, and others are being treated for anxiety disorders or schizophrenia.
We watch as the women play games, get medical checks and receive medication.
But across England, mental health services are creaking, leaving thousands to descend into mental health emergencies.
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Newly-published data from NHS England tells us 51,312 people were sectioned under the Mental Health Act last year.
Black people are nearly four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than white people.
As are people from deprived areas.
And there has been a 53% increase in the number of children in a mental health crisis since 2019.
Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Emma Padfield, says more should be done sooner.
“I think there are failures in the system in general,” Dr Padfield tells me.
She says that resources aren’t in place to provide the care which is needed to prevent patients from reaching a point of crisis.
The latest inspection of her site - part of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust - found patients are treated with respect, and given therapy and rehabilitation.
But elsewhere, some feel more harmed than healed by the system.
I met Tiwa, who was sectioned under the Mental Health Act between the ages of 16 and 18.
She showed me photos of herself while she was in hospital.
“This is where I’d self-harmed and was by myself for hours. I almost don’t recognise her - she was so desperate and so sad,” Tiwa tells me.
She feels the experience in the hospital only added to her trauma.
“It was such a difficult environment and often I felt quite alone. I didn’t really have much say in anything,” Tiwa says.
Tiwa started to self-harm as a teenager and feels if she’d had the right therapy sooner, she wouldn’t have been sectioned.
“The waiting lists for therapy are so long and your mental health doesn’t pause whilst you’re waiting for anything - all that’s going to happen is it’s going to get worse,” Tiwa says.
Tiwa’s mental health is now much better and she’s studying for a degree. She hopes that by speaking out, she can help improve the system for others.
But Tiwa’s story is - sadly - not unique.
Dr Lade Smith, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, tells me that services are "overstretched" and "chronically under-resourced."
She says deprivation and discrimination increase the risk of someone developing a mental health problem.
Asked if we should feel ashamed of the state of our country’s mental health service, Dr Smith tells me "yes, we really should. They’re just not good enough."
Despite a major review and promise for reform of the Mental Health Act, new legislation will not be passed before the next General Election.
In response to this story, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told ITV News: "We’re expanding mental health provision to support even more people with their mental health, with up to £2.3 billion in additional funding being invested annually by March 2024 compared to 2018-19."
"Our Major Conditions Strategy will ensure that mental ill health is considered alongside physical health conditions, allowing for more joined up thinking in treatment."
An NHS spokesperson said: “While the pandemic inevitably had an impact on the nation’s mental health causing an increase in demand across the board, the NHS is focused on ensuring people are given appropriate support close to home in the community before an admission to hospital is needed - funding has increased by £1 billion a year to transform community mental health services to meet demand.
“We want to do more to address inequalities in outcomes for ethnic minorities, and we have developed a race equality framework for mental health trusts which will support them to provide more responsive care in partnership with the communities they serve.”
If you or anyone you know wants to speak to someone at ITV News about their experience of mental health care, they can get in touch via email - itvnewshealth@itn.co.uk
How can you access NHS mental health services and where can you get help and support
If you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E now
If you need help urgently for your mental health, but it's not an emergency, get help from NHS 111 online or call 111
There are also a number of charities that offer mental health advice:
Samaritans - Samaritans are an organisation you can ring at any time of the day or night. They'll help you and listen to how you're feeling. Call them free and confidentially on 116 123
SHOUT - SHOUT provides free, confidential, 24/7 text message support in the UK for anyone who is struggling to cope and anyone in crisis. You can text SHOUT to 85258
Mind - Mind offers non-urgent information about mental health support and services, there are a few things you can do. Call our Infoline on 0300 123 3393
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