2008:

July 11: "Excessive" restraint caused death of psychiatric patient - jury drew attention to failings in staffing, training and facilities at Swansea hospital, left

June 20: "I've got nothing to cover up" - mental health nurse denies accusations she got rid of evidence over patient's death during restraint at Swansea's Cefn Coed Hospital, left

EXCLUSIVE
June 13: 'Mental illness is petrifying' - day-to-day life as an inpatient on a psychiatric unit is being documented on an internet blog by Mandy Lawrence, left,

May 30: Psychiatric patient died after '55 minutes' of restraint - inquest jury hears evidence before it decides what caused the death of Kurt Howard, 32, at Swansea's Cefn Coed Hospital.

May 21: Almost all psychiatric patients oppose smoking ban on units, study claims - but patients at Rampton, pictured left, lose test case for right to continue smoking. Judges ruled ban was justified for "health and security" reasons.

March 20: Psychiatric patients launch test case for right to smoke while detained - patients could be only group of people banned from smoking "in the privacy of their own home", judges told

Feb 14: Patient strangles woman on Rochdale psychiatric ward - Telahum Tedola attacked Rosalyn McManus, pictured left, because she accused him of being a spy.

Feb 14: Appoint good leaders to end violence on psychiatric wards, urges psychiatrist - Paul Lelliot calls for change after audit finds most nurses on psychiatric wards have been assualted

Feb 1: Psychiatric wards are “frightening and dangerous” - Mental Health Act commissioners say they are also "tougher, scarier places” than they were 10 years ago.

Jan 10: Private psychiatric units increasingly used to detain patients - new figures show 24 per cent increase of detentions in independent hospitals

2007:

Nov 28: "If I had to be back in psychiatric hospital this is " - “Revolutionary” new mental health hospital (left) opens in Glasgow.

Sept 19: Secure psychiatric ward patient number reaches record high - in July there were 3,723 people detained in secure forensic units, according to Sainsbury Centre For Mental Health

Aug 30: Female psychiatric patient dies after attack by man in same ward - death comes after revelation that mixed-sex mental health wards are common, despite government claims to contrary.
Left, the victim Rosalind McManus

Aug 30: Mental health units should carry out sex abuse audits, psychiatrists urge - royal college says it is “very likely” sexual incidents are under-reported.

Feature: July 11: Aiming high - A new scheme hopes to boost standards in psychiatric wards. Adam James investigates.
(Left: Rachel Weddle, manager of Collingwood Court unit, Newcastle)

May 30: Rampton patient launches human rights test case over smoking ban - Terrence Grimwood accuses hospital of violating his right to respect for his private and home life

March 29: Mixed-sex psychiatric wards common, despite government claims to contrary - Healthcare Commission finds 55% of inpatients share sleeping accommodation or bathrooms with opposite sex.

March 15: Staff and patients welcome sniffer dogs to find illegal drugs on psychiatric unit - "Use of drug dogs on our wards has been well received by service users and staff", says Liz Jones, director of nursing at Camden and Islington Mental Health Trust

Feb 1: Quarter of adult and child psychiatric beds provided by independent sector - one of dozens of key mental health statistics documented in new book (left)

Jan 31: Children sexually harassed on adult psychiatric wards, report states - shortage of hospital beds and services for under 18-year-olds blamed

2006:

Dec 19: NHS trust launches probe after mental health staff and patients pictured online - one photo is of a patient with two knives.

Dec 18: More than 40 psychiatric inpatients per year die of "unexplained” causes - antipsychotic drugs, physical restraint and heart disease could be causing such deaths, states new report

Feature: Dec 11: Deaths for no reason? How can mental health staff prevent psychiatric patient deaths during restraint? Geoffrey Hodgkins (left) was one such victim

Nov 10: "Most alleged rapes of psychiatric patients almost certainly never happened", says Louis Appleby - reputation of mental health services were "unfairly damaged" by the allegations, he adds

Oct 30: Patient who died after being restrained not threatening anyone, report reveals - staff also made no efforts to engage with schizophrenia patient before restraint used

Oct 30: Mental health professionals launch scheme to improve psychiatric wards - professional bodies say “something must be done” to improve wards

Oct 6: Quarter of psychiatric patients have no access to hospital garden - some banned as punishment, says Mind report

July 21: Nurses do not want smoking ban in psychiatric wards - but fears that ban would spark aggression from patients refuted by non-smoking units, survey finds

May 19: Most women with perinatal depression admitted to hospital end up on a mixed-sex ward, claims report

March 1: Daily meetings between staff and patients heralded as way to improve psychiatric wards - new report also includes details of ward round code aiming to ensure rounds are less intimidating

2006:

Jan 12: Half of psychiatric in-patient wards full, report says - Mental Health Act Commission also states wards are understaffed and have unpleasant environments

Dec 21: Mental health nurses and patients head bids to improve wards - funds allocated to spruce up corridors, waiting areas and wards, and to construct gardens and "quiet spaces"

Dec 12: Psychiatric patients receive less Get Well Soon cards than other patients - this is because psychiatric inpatients have less friends, are ashamed of their diagnosis, and people believe it is unlikely they will recover, write researchers

Dec 7: Every female patient in study of mixed-sex psychiatric wards reported abuse, study claims- University of London researchers questioned staff and patients in 16 medium secure units

Nov 29: Inspectors force closure of private mental health unit for adolescents - Healthcare Commission identified “serious concerns” about treatment of adolescents in Mild Professional Homes unit

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