An independent review commissioned by NHS England has been published today, Wednesday 3 November, which follows up on the progress of the 2019 report regarding a former service user who unlawfully killed his six-year-old daughter and then took his own life.
The 2019 report and 2021 quality assurance review can be found on the NHS England website.
We want to start by extending our sympathies to the families affected by these tragic events, in particular Keziah’s mother. We are determined to ensure that the changes that have occurred as a result of the Sancus review are embedded and sustained in our services.
We are aware that in 2016 mental health services in the Isle of Wight were not delivering the quality of services that we would want, and in 2017 the services were rated ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The subsequent work in mental health services to address these concerns has been far reaching, and goes beyond the specific recommendations in the Sancus report.
In September 2021, the CQC published an inspection report regarding mental health services on the Isle of Wight, and reported that all services inspected were ‘good’. The CQC commented on cultural changes they had observed across the whole organisation, including having a clear vision for the future of healthcare on the island; improved engagement with staff, patients, and partners; and renewed vigour to continually improve the communication for patients and their relatives. They said that the ‘culture, enthusiasm and energy for the quality of patient care showed significant improvement’.
These improvements provide an important backdrop to the recommendations in the Sancus report, and the subsequent action to address them, and contribute to ensuring that the Trust is in a strong position to sustain the changes that have been made.
Since the Sancus Quality Assurance review completed earlier this year, further progress has been made with several of the recommendations described in the report.
More information:
Full joint statement and progress made following the publication of the report