A new report has found mental health patients in NSW hospitals are suffering under worse care conditions during the coronavirus pandemic, as they’re subjected to more severe, non therapeutic interventions. There was a rise in the number of times mental health patients were secluded or physically restrained while in mental health treatment, according to the Healthcare Quality Trend report on NSW hospital performance from April to June 2020. Mental health patients have also been subjected to longer periods of seclusion since the coronavirus pandemic. Physical restraint in a mental health setting occurs when the “patient’s freedom of movement is restricted by physical means (i.e. The report noted the majority of episodes in acute mental health care wards at NSW public hospitals don’t involve any form of physical restraint.

Source: The Herald September 22, 2020 07:41 UTC