Independent investigation: Thomas Thompson, Liverpool (2011)

The Trust should provide training and develop guidance to ensure that there is a greater focus on, and value attached to, the building of a therapeutic relationship between inpatient and community staff and their service users.

The Trust should test for effectiveness their implementation of the internal investigation’s recommendations, and ensure that the new model of care is operating fully and effectively by conducting some qualitative audits of the whole care pathway including for someone with … Read more The Trust should test for effectiveness their implementation of the internal investigation’s recommendations, and ensure that the new model of care is operating fully and effectively by conducting some qualitative audits of the whole care pathway including for someone with personality disorder. Show less

The Trust should ensure that any reports from service users about violent behaviour are fully logged in the patient’s notes and reported in detail to the police.

The Trust should ensure that, when there are reports of actual or possible violence, a detailed history is compiled and an appropriate risk assessment tool is used.

The Trust should ensure that their risk management strategy outlines a clear link between risk assessment, care planning, care co-ordination and the application of CPA.

The Trust should ensure that any requests for a specific medication are fully explored with the service user and the possibility of dependency is considered and discussed.

The Trust should consider whether, when a service user is known to have a particularly peripatetic lifestyle and there are significant concerns about risk, contact should be made with appropriate mental health trusts to share information (with due regard to … Read more The Trust should consider whether, when a service user is known to have a particularly peripatetic lifestyle and there are significant concerns about risk, contact should be made with appropriate mental health trusts to share information (with due regard to guidance on confidentiality). Show less

The Trust should ensure that, when there has been reported violence to a family member, there should be robust efforts to establish some contact with the victim and other family members to discuss the issue, and to consider an assessment … Read more The Trust should ensure that, when there has been reported violence to a family member, there should be robust efforts to establish some contact with the victim and other family members to discuss the issue, and to consider an assessment of carers’ needs, in line with Trust 1’s CPA policy. Show less

The Trust should review progress made against the internal review’s recommendation for mental health staff to assist service users to register with a local GP, and establish systems for effective communication between GPs and mental health services regarding patient care. Read more The Trust should review progress made against the internal review’s recommendation for mental health staff to assist service users to register with a local GP, and establish systems for effective communication between GPs and mental health services regarding patient care. Show less

The Trust should revise their drug detection policy to include procedures around the use of drug detection dogs, and specifically a process for making service users aware that drug detection dogs may visit acute inpatient areas.