What changes for patients in Medium Secure Care?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What changes in Medium Secure Care? A long term follow up study of outcomes, care, supervision and patients' experiences.
IRAS ID
237697
Contact name
Ruth/RB Bagshaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 26 days
Research summary
Forensic services have changed considerably over the last two decades. Whilst there has been research on outcomes for patients leaving secure mental healthcare, there is very little research on the relationship between outcomes and service configuration. There is a need for research on how forensic mental health services have changed, and how this relates to patient outcomes.
The aim of this research is to identify how Medium Secure Services in Wales have changed over the last twenty years in relation to thresholds for clinical decision making, care pathways, patient experiences, and outcomes. The aim is to help inform future practice and improve patient experiences and outcomes. Archived healthcare records of individuals admitted to and discharged from medium security in Wales in the last twenty years will be examined in terms of collecting data linked to care pathways, clinical decision making, and clinical profiles of patients. From this data, individuals discharged to less secure or community placements, who have available follow up records, will be followed up to collect forensic, clinical and social outcome data. A subset of discharged individuals still in contact with mental health services, and their carers, will be invited to participate in a semi-structured interview regarding their experiences and perspectives of secure mental health care, and their quality of life subsequent to medium secure care.
The study will be conducted firstly in a Welsh NHS medium secure service, using existing healthcare records. Follow up data will be obtained from other mental health services and criminal justice agencies. The study will last approximately thirty months. Records will be analysed without patient consent under the approval of the Confidentiality Advisory Group. Consent will be collected for discharged individuals and their carers to participate in a semi-structured interview that will last approximately thirty to sixty minutes.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
18/WA/0157
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jul 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion