MENTAL health services in Wiltshire are undergoing a major inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) next week.

Over the course of a week, an inspection team of 70 people will be visiting every hospital ward managed by the trust in Salisbury, Bristol, Bath, Devizes, Swindon and Weston-super-Mare, as well as many of the 152 community services.

Previously, services across the region were inspected separately but the CQC announced in November that it was taking a new approach.

The inspection team will look in detail at a range of services including acute admission wards for all age groups, psychiatric intensive care units and health-based places of safety and long stay forensic secure services.

They will also inspect services for older people, community services for people with learning disabilities or autism, adult community-based services including crisis services, and specialist eating disorder services.

Chief inspector Professor Sir Mike Richards said: “The new inspections are designed to provide us with a clear picture of the quality of the services, exposing poor or mediocre care as well as highlighting those trusts providing good and excellent care.

“The needs of people with mental health problems run through all CQC’s work. We have recognised that we need to strengthen our approach to regulating specialist mental health services to ensure that people get care that is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well led.”

People are being urged to tell the CQC about the care provided by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, to help inspectors decide what to look at when they inspect.

To give views to the inspection team, visit cqc.org.uk/contact-us, email enquiries@cqc.org.uk, call 03000 616161, or write to CQC, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA.