People with mental health problems are being misdiagnosed, over-medicated and subjected to excessive use of intrusive therapies, according to a body responsible for putting forward the views of patients.

The Bradford District Care Patient and Public Involve-ment (PPI) Forum has produced a report which raises a raft of concerns about the services provided by Bradford District Care Trust the NHS body responsible for the care of people with mental health and learning disabilities in the district.

It runs Lynfield Mount Hospital and the mental health wards at Airedale General Hospital at Steeton.

The document has been put together as part of the annual health check by the Healthcare Commission, an independent watchdog which rates the performance of every NHS Trust in the country.

All PPI forums have been asked to submit a statement about the work of the NHS Trust they are attached to and the document produced by the Bradford District Care PPI has raised some serious concerns.

The forum says it is concerned financial troubles at the Trust will affect service users and carers and says: "Many mental health and learning disability service users and carers continue to feel that they are still not included in society, which has adverse effects on their health and well-being."

Other concerns are:

  • service users feel their care is not well co-ordinated
  • there is a greater emphasis on medication rather than other therapies
  • excessive use of intrusive medication and therapies such as electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)
  • services tend not to deal with the root cause of mental health problems
  • misdiagnosis is a persistent problem
  • In the area of learning disability services, the PPI wants to see an effective complaints procedure and for each patient to have easy access to information held about themselves.

The chairman of the PPI forum, Emmerson Walgrove, who also sits on the board of the Care Trust, said the forum wanted to see the Trust more focused on the needs of the service user and carers.

He said: "The Bradford District Care Patient and Public Involvement Forum annual health check core standards statement is the view of the full forum.

"The forum sought the views of service users, carers and families over the last six months at various forum meetings and other groups.

"There are various issues of some concern, which we will be meeting with the Care Trust to discuss in weeks to come.

"We would like to remind people that there are issues around some of the Care Trust services, but some services are good and the forum will continue to work in partnership with Bradford District Care Trust."

A Bradford District Care Trust spokesman said: "We were presented with the report from the PPI forum at its meeting at which the core work that the Trust does was discussed.

"Forum members were happy with and agreed our core standards but raised a number of concerns outside of these main areas.

"We are not aware of specific evidence to support their concerns raised and senior Trust managers are set to meet members of the forum in order to seek further information and evidence.

"The Trust will then thoroughly investigate each issue."

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk