The trust in charge of mental health services in Wiltshire has responded to criticism about the quality of care provided at its wards.

During an unannounced visit to the forensic inpatient and secure wards run by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust in January, Care Quality Commission inspectors found that staff shortages were harming how patients were being looked after.

Other problem areas identified by the CQC included an over-reliance on agency staff, short notice absences putting extra pressure on permanent staff, patients claiming staff were not always respectful, and staff being anxious about reporting incidents.

A spokesperson for the trust explained what actions have been taken to address the issues raised.

In a statement, the AWP said: "We accept the CQC’s findings and, since the inspection in January 2024, have launched an extensive training programme for staff, and invited external organisations into the service to carry out independent reviews.

“We value everyone who works with us but also acknowledge the impact a high use of agency staff can have and addressing this has been a trust-wide priority leading to a sustained reduction overall.

“Within forensic and secure services there has been a 52 per cent reduction in agency use since this inspection, which means we now have a more consistent team in place.

“These plans have been supported by both our local Integrated Care Boards (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB and Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB), and our commissioners, the South West Provider Collaborative.

“While we recognise that there remain challenges within the service, we are confident these measures are now improving the overall standards of care for our patients.”

The full report is due to be published in the coming days.

Inspectors visited the trust after receiving concerns from users and their families about the quality of care being provided.

Following the inspection, the Safe category has also been re-rated as requiring improvement and Responsive is re-rated as good.

Inspectors did not assess how well-led, and caring the service was, so both remain rated as good, and how effective the service is was also not assessed and remains rated as requires improvement.

The overall rating for Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust is unaffected and remains as requires improvement.