MENTAL health patients in Derbyshire have praised NHS staff for treating them with respect – but want improvements in some services.

A survey has revealed patients were generally positive about the help and treatment they received from health and social workers.

Of those surveyed, 90% felt staff listened, 85% were given enough time for discussion and 88% said their views were considered.

Also, 94% were treated with dignity and 85% had trust and confidence in their health or social care worker.

But only 69% said their views were taken into account when deciding what medicine to give them and only 71% felt properly involved in drawing up a care plan.

And only 51% knew who to contact in a crisis outside normal office hours.

Complaints and compliments were in line with the national picture.

Cynthia Bower, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, which carried out the survey, said mental health care had improved.

She said: "But the results also suggest that, in some respects, the care offered is falling short of meeting the range of needs."

The commission will use the results as part of its continual monitoring of local NHS services, which have to meet standards introduced in April this year.

Chief executive of Derbyshire's mental health service, Mike Shewan, said that patients had praised staff for asking them about their physical health and for access to specialist staff.

He said: "We recognise within mental health the importance of good physical health as an aid to recovery.

"We will look at the survey results to identify other areas where we can seek to make improvements to our services."