The new chief executive of West London Mental Health NHS Trust, drafted in following a damning report on its “seriously flawed” systems, has said it could take up to three years to improve the working culture.

Peter Cubbon told Hounslow Council’s adult, health and social care scrutiny panel on Wednesday he had been employed “to put the trust back on track”.

He said it now has five new non-executive directors on the board since the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its report, and he plans to bring in three executives.

It has also launched an action plan to tackle a string of concerns, including failing to properly investigate suicides and staff shortages in Hounslow.

Andrew Barton, chairman of Hounslow Local Involvement Networks (Links), which aims to give citizens a stronger voice in how health services are delivered, said: “I think the problem here is we’ve always got to focus on the top.

“Where I think the problem lies for people who use the services is the bottom, it’s the people they come into contact with every day, the nurses, the cleaners, the person on the reception desk as they walk into the Lakeside unit.

“I think the challenge for you will be how to get down to every single member of staff so this report makes a difference to what they do for the people of Hounslow.”

He said he was disappointed the trust had not mentioned Links in its action plan, and hoped in the future it would build community engagement with mental health services.

Links will host a public meeting on improving mental health in Hounslow at the Civic Centre at 6pm on Tuesday, October 20.

Residents will get the chance to question Ian Kent, deputy chief executive of West London Mental Health NHS Trust. Links has also invited speakers from NHS Hounslow and the CQC.

Contact Hounslow Links on 0845 0949497, or hounslowlink@ hapuk.co.uk.