Mental Health Services 'Struggle' As Demand Increases
- Abi Hamlin
- Jan 7, 2016
- 2 min read
New figures suggest that still hundreds of patients are being sent outside of their local areas to receive mental health treatment.
This information was released by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, using the Freedom of Information act. It revealed that there is still a “struggle” to cope with demand.
Nearly 1,500 adults have been sent to other areas in 2014-15. The statistics also showed that over 150 children were also sent out of their local community.
Mental Health Minister, Jamie Hepburn, had said that the latest budget will include an ‘extra £50m for mental health over the next five years’. With this increase, the budget for mental health services will extend to £150m. It will be used to ‘improve access to services and promote innovation and new ways of treating people.’
Mr. Hepburn has said: “Demand for services is increasing significantly. The number of people seen by child and adolescent mental health services has risen by 27% in the last year – more than 900 extra patients in the quarter ending September 2015”
He also added, that the government was “investing heavily” in the workforce response, but added: “However, on occasion people will be treated outside their board areas. Care and support is provided in the most appropriate environment, regardless of board boundaries.
“In some cases it can be appropriate for a patient to travel outside their health board area where specialist or urgent care is required.
“Such circumstances are kept to a minimum and always dictated by clinical need and benefit of the patient.”
This research comes as Healthwatch England, shows that mental health has become area the public worry about most. More than half of the group identified mental health services as needing serious improvement.
77 out of the 152 branches needed improving; this was more than any other area of care.
NHS England is due to report from the mental health unit, it will being in “real change in prevention, mental health promotion and improved access to services and crisis care”, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, NHS England’s national clinical director for mental health, has said.
The sorts of things members of the public complained about ranged from difficulty getting help to GP’s really understanding their condition.
Healthwatch’s chief executive, Katherine Rake, said: “Still too often we hear from those accessing mental health support and their families that they feel the clock is ticking, and that is they are not ‘better’ by the end of their course of counselling they will be left to cope on their own.”
This was something shared by our source who began their treatment through cognitive behavioural therapy saying that: “It was so stressful. You are expected to just be magically better by the end of your recommended time.”
“I found this difficult and had to go back to my GP multiple times before getting a real diagnoses and being put on the appropriate medication. I have lost all hope in my GP and for the younger generation I hope something improves.”
SOURCE: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/31/mental-health-now-area-of-most-pubic-concern-within-nhs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35213808
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