Trust will begin training to solve psychiatrist shortage By Lesley Richards A REVIEW of mental health services in the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust has revealed an urgent need for psychiatrists.

The Commission for Health Improvement report also raised concerns about care decisions and complaints.

As a result, the trust has prioritised its plans to regain accreditation for medical training in psychiatry, and appointed a consultant psychiatrist with strong academic links.

The report praised the effective leadership and capacity for learning in the trust.

It also said people using its community-based services felt satisfied with access to information and praised the staff efforts to provide care.

But the CHI also identified significant areas for improvement.

The report said some patients did not feel they were involved in decisions about their care, and most service users who were interviewed were unclear about the complaints procedure.

The trust, which is in the middle of major reorganisation, is working to involve service users and carers further. It has set up a user involvement forum and carers take part in planning committees.

Peter Homa, CHI chief executive, said: "There are clearly areas in the mental health service provision that need improvement.

"The trust has produced an action plan in response to the report and has already made excellent progress in putting it in to practice. If this work continues, it promises to raise standards of care further."

Trust chief executive Sheena Cuminskey said: "We welcome the CHI review and its findings and while we are in the midst of reorganisation, we are pleased that the review identified a service in transition and a service with ambition in its report.

"The year ahead remains exciting and challenging."