This report examines the quality of hospital conditions for mental health patients and highlights examples of good and bad practice. For mental health patients, a safe and comfortable environment with access to fresh air, exercise and recreation is critical in determining recovery. This report reveals two extremes of hospital conditions: for some patients, the hospital environment helps recovery; whereas, for others, poor accommodation and security, safety concerns, insufficient staffing levels and intense boredom exacerbate existing difficulties and create new ones, subjecting patients to an environment that is inhumane where it should be therapeutic.

Mind has identified some excellent examples of good practice regarding inpatient care in hospitals. The challenge is to make them the norm rather than the exception. Many solutions outlined in this report are cheap and simple. The economic case for replication is strong and the consequences of inaction potentially disastrous.