The result of the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) poll out today have sparked anger from mental health charities who have said more must be done.
The CQC carried out the biggest ever national survey of people's experiences of acute mental health inpatient services, which revealed a 'great proportion feel they are being let down in some important aspects of the care they receive'.
Some 7,500 people who had recently been discharged from NHS trusts across England were asked for their views on the care they received. CQC said the findings from the survey underline two key issues that have been previously identified as priority areas for improvement: focusing on individuals' needs and ensuring the safety of patients.
Only a third of those asked said they were involved as much as they wanted to be when it came to meeting their needs, and less than half said they 'always' felt safe on the ward. Some 16 per cent said they did not feel safe at all.
Barbara Young, CQC chairman, said: 'This survey gets to the heart of what it means to provide care that meets people’s individual needs.
'As the care services regulator, we have pledged to ensure that the voices of everyone who uses care services are heard. This survey shows us that there is considerable room for improvement in patients' experiences of acute inpatient mental health services, and that there remains a particular need to ensure that services are focused on meeting the needs of people as individuals.
'It is not acceptable for people to feel unsafe in hospital or for them not to be to given basic information about their care and treatment.
'We will be writing to all the trusts covered by the survey to underline the findings, and we will continue to push for improvement through our assessment and registration systems.'
Charity Rethink has said the government must renew its commitment to mental health investment in light of the CQC's research, and in particular because the figures showed one in four inpatients felt they were being 'let down' when it came to treatment for mental health.
Rethink director of public affairs Paul Corry said: 'These figures highlight just how far we have to go to bring mental health care up to the standards found in physical health care. It is party conference season and we will be looking to all three party leaders to commit themselves to continuing with the mental health investment and reform programme even in the face of public spending cuts.'
And the Mental Health Network, which represents the majority of NHS mental health trusts, has admitted more needs to be done.
Steve Shrubb, director of the network said: 'While overall almost three quarters of patients rate their care as good, very good or excellent, these figures clearly show there is a range of areas requiring improvement.
'We know that the best care is brought about where the service user is fully engaged in the decisions made around their care so this kind of patient feedback is a vital to improving services.
'These figures will further challenge mental health organisations to address issues around safety, related physical health problems and involvement so that all trusts are up to the standards of the best.'
Another mental health charity Mind has also said the CQC must help to promote therapy access for those with mental health problems.
Mind's chief executive Paul Farmer said: 'We are pleased that patients with mental health problems have finally been able to have their say on their treatment and care but the results are now in and the verdict is not good.
'There is also a worrying disparity between the number of respondents who said they had wanted access to talking therapies and those who actually received them. Therapies such as counselling and psychotherapy can be a very effective and can work well in conjunction with medication so it's disappointing that patients' treatment preferences are being ignored.'
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