Revealed: Scandal of healthy mental health patients trapped in hospitals for years
Mental health patients have been left languishing in hospitals for years due to a chronic shortage in community care, as the number of people trapped on wards hits a record high, The Independent can reveal.
Analysis shows 3,213 patients were stuck on units for more than three months last year, including 325 children kept in adult units. Of those a “deeply concerning” number have been deemed well enough to leave but have nowhere to go.
One of these cases was Ben Craig, 34, who says he was left “scarred” after being stranded on a ward for two years – despite being fit enough to leave – because two councils fought over who
