The report said GPs did not always pass on information

The Health and Safety Executive has criticised the Devon Partnership Trust, which cares for people with serious mental health problems, on a number of key points.

The report said information from GPs about the risks patients present appeared to be variable.

The executive has told the trust to put things right by the end of the year. The trust said it was working to address the criticisms.

We have taken very clear action Jill Sillifant Devon Partnership Trust

The executive inspected the Devon Partnership Trust in June.

The report was very concerned about problems with alarm systems at Langdon Hospital at Dawlish and Wonford House in Exeter.

There was an alarm failure rate of 26% between March and June at Wonford House, which it said was clearly unacceptable.

Inspectors also had grave concerns about the risks to staff at Maple House in Exeter.

The quality of information coming from GPs about individuals and the risks they present was said to be at best variable and at worst very poor.

In some cases, consultants failed to pass on information, including any previous use of weapons by patients.

Jill Sillifant from the Devon Partnership Trust said improvements were being made.

She said: "We have had some problems with our alarm system at Wonford House, and clearly that has been a point of concern to us when it was picked up by the executive in their report.

"We have taken very clear action since these faults were discovered and we have improved the system."