£170 million boost to mental health therapies

Health secretary Alan Johnson’s announcement of a £170 million expansion of psychological therapies to provide better support for people with mental health problems. has been welcomed by mental health agencies

Millions of people suffer from depression and anxiety. These are the most common of the mental health problems...

Beggars in the market

Whatever might be said about the rest of the NHS, we do have very good secondary mental health services. But the NHS is changing radically and Dr Martin Elphick believes the business processes of mental health services are not well enough prepared for the competitive health market

The quality of British services compared to other countries must owe something to our combination of affluence and national organisation...

Another assault

A disturbing picture of victimisation of people with mental health problems…and how we can tackle it

People experiencing mental distress are far more likely to be hit, sexually assaulted, harassed or targeted by thieves than people without mental health problems. These are the disturbing findings from Another Assault, a recent Mind report about victimisation and equality in the justice system...

Mental health problems in old age – double discrimination or everybody’s business?

Dr Ian McPherson outlines some of the challenges mental health problems in old age raise for our assumptions about later life and for all services

One of the major factors that prevents mental health problems in old age being properly recognised are implicit assumptions about the quality of life we should expect as we get older...

Patient choice in mental health services - building blocks or stumbling blocks?

The government has made patient choice central to its health reforms in response to what it believes are increased patient expectations about their care and treatment. Simon Lawton-Smith looks at how we are doing so far in implementing the choice agenda in mental health

To date, the choice agenda has focused largely on elective surgery, where it is intended to reduce waiting lists and drive up quality of care...

Draining away brain’s toxic protein to stop Alzheimer’s

Scientists are trying a plumber’s approach to rid the brain of the amyloid buildup that plagues Alzheimer’s patients: simply drain the toxic protein away

That’s the method outlined in a paper published online by Nature Medicine. Scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center in the USA show how the body’s natural way of ridding the body of the substance is flawed in people with the disease...

Improving access to psychological therapies: a challenge for the whole NHS?

Dr Ian McPherson, director of the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE), welcomes the recent major investment in psychological therapies but highlights the wider implications this raises for the NHS

Health secretary Alan Johnson’s announcement of a £170 million expansion of psychological therapies to provide better support for people with common mental health problems...

MENTAL HEALTH ACT 2007

“in many ways a missed opportunity”

Following eight years of heated debate, we finally have a new Mental Health Act. Its implications for health services are far-reaching. Under new powers, the NHS will have extra powers to detain people in hospital and also to impose treatment upon them outside hospital under threat of a forcible return if they do not comply...

Mental health services letting down older people

Major inquiry sets out plan to help the 3.5 million older sufferers

A mental health pandemic and an inadequate government response mean that over 3.5 million older people who experience mental health problems do not have satisfactory services and support...

NAO report condemns treatment of dementia

A report released by the National Audit Office says that dementia is being given too low a priority by health and social services, despite rapidly rising numbers of people with the condition

It also states that too few people are being diagnosed or being diagnosed early enough and that early interventions known to be cost effective and improve quality of life are not being made widely available...

Survey gives mixed message on public attitudes towards mental illness

Public attitudes towards people with mental health problems remain broadly sympathetic despite some signs that prejudice and fear have slightly increased, a survey by the Department of Health has found.

The vast majority of people remain supportive of the integration of those with mental illness into the community...

High court upholds decision to restrict Alzheimer’s drugs

The high court has ruled that the process which resulted in Alzheimer’s drugs being restricted on the NHS was generally fair.

Campaigners reacted with disappointment but reiterated that early diagnosis remained important for patients and that the drugs are still available on the NHS for people in the moderate stages of the disease...

New survey shows mental health low staffing levels are impacting on patient care

Patient care is being compromised due to low staffing levels of mental health nurses according to a new survey from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN)

The survey, 'Untapped potential: a survey of RCN nurses in mental health 2007', found...

NHS Experts Showcase Sussex Young People’s Nursing Team As Beacon Of Innovation And High Quality Care

A new Sussex-wide NHS mental health service which helps young people return from hospital earlier to be with their families has been commended as a case study of national best practice.

The NHS Institute for Innovation has published ‘The Essential Collection’ - a compendium of frontline nursing projects acclaimed nationally for their impact on...

Time to change?

New evaluation findings from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London reveal that England's most ambitious anti-stigma programme, Time to Change, is having a positive effect on reducing discrimination towards people with mental health problems.

The overall level of discrimination reported by people who experience a mental health problem has dropped by four percent in the last 12 months. The levels of...

New primary care health service launches to help people with common mental health problems stay in control of their lives

Health in Mind, a groundbreaking new health service that makes it easier for people to get support or treatment for common mental health problems such as depression or anxiety, has been launched in East Sussex.

The service is run jointly by the national social enterprise Turning Point and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It is the first service of its kind in Sussex...