24.06.14
Mental health services heading towards ‘car crash’
The outgoing president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Professor Sue Bailey, says mental health services in England are heading towards a “car crash” as demand rises while resources shrink.
In one of her last interviews before leaving the post, Prof Bailey stated that the “system is in crisis” and that “people need to listen”
Asked whether the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, had taken mental health seriously, she told the BBC: “He has a basic understanding of it but whether he takes it seriously, the proof of which would be making it a priority, then sadly not.”
However, a Department of Health spokesperson rejected the claims and said the BBC had cherry-picked the negative quotes from an otherwise positive interview.
The spokesperson added that a number of initiatives had been carried out to improve mental health services during this Parliament – receiving wide sector support.
Prof Bailey, who will be replaced by Professor Sir Simon Wessely this week, said: “We need to be getting money for prevention through Public Health England and we need more money for intervention.
“The sums of money that could make a difference are not huge but they could make a large difference.”
Under the health secretary’s watch, the government for the first time has asked NHS England, through the Mandate, to introduce standards for waiting times for mental health services on a phased basis from April 2015.
A government spokesperson told NHE: “Jeremy Hunt is proud to be the first secretary of state to have worked on the frontline in many mental health trusts — as well as being part of a government that has legislated for parity of esteem for mental health, and which is transforming crisis care.”
The DH also outlined a number of initiatives it has carried out within the last parliament to improve services. It told NHE it had:
- Invested over £450m in improving access to psychological therapies so that people get support for mental health problems.
- Provided £54m for improving access to therapies for children and young people
- Supported the work of Time to Change and MindEd by giving them a total of £18m towards mental health programmes.
- Given £25m to introduce a new liaison and diversion scheme, which places mental health staff in police stations and courts to help identify when people involved in these services have mental health problems.
- Funded street triage schemes in nine pilot areas, which see mental health nurses accompany officers to incidents where police believe people need immediate mental health support.
- The government's Living Well for Longer programme, which the Health Secretary led on, aims to reduce the health inequalities experienced by people with mental illness — specifically, the 20-year gap in life expectancy for people with mental health issues.
- And the Transforming Primary Care programme, which provides an enhanced GP service, is expected to help provide personalised care to more than 800,000 people with the most complex health, care and mental health needs.
Tell us what you think – have your say below or email [email protected]