Directly being heard about Mental Health system failings by the Government!

[eternaljourney]

Directly being heard about Mental Health system failings by the Government!

Do you think some of the treatments simply don't work because the therapists are just going through the motions. To me it's like a production line of people and it's a very cold, matter of fact approach. There's too much impatience as a response to expressing that a therapy or therapist just isn't for you. Yet we're told we have an entitlement to be treated by someone who we feel comfortable with and have a therapy that suits our needs as individuals.

That nasty feeling of desperation that there's nothing left to do and what's the point is so very painful. There should be centres open 24 hours dotted around for easy access to everyone suffering mental illness, including some as near as possible to homes in the country. They should all have psychiatrist, nurses, therapists, social workers, support workers all working from the same place locally. All working on a rota. Some doing call-outs.
Like a GP out of hours for mental health issues separate from A+E. It shouldn't be a place that requires referal to but somewhere to call in without being initially seen by someone who doesn't have much knowledge of mental illness. Everyone there should know and appreciate every aspect of the different behaviours expressed as a result of mental illness. This should be accessible to everyone suffering with mental illness at whatever level.

I would really like to write a petition expressing what everyone as individuals wants from the system and get it to parliament.
If we all talked about our ideas on here and about areas of the system that we feel are unfair or inappropriate we could make sure we are heard.
We can't all completely agree on everything but we could try and get some good ideas together. Not a way to name particular staff we feel let down by or haven't had the professional care we've been entitled to from. Just stories of the faults and failings and suggestion of improvements.

What do you all think?
Eternalx

 

[Op.cit]

Do you think some of the treatments simply don't work because the therapists are just going through the motions. To me it's like a production line of people and it's a very cold, matter of fact approach. There's too much impatience as a response to expressing that a therapy or therapist just isn't for you. Yet we're told we have an entitlement to be treated by someone who we feel comfortable with and have a therapy that suits our needs as individuals.

I think this is a very good point. There is a lot of evidence that the most important part of any treatment or intervention is the quality of the relationship between the therapist and patient. Even antidepressants seem to work better when the patient and Doctor have a good relationship, so it is a very strong effect.

That nasty feeling of desperation that there's nothing left to do and what's the point is so very painful. There should be centres open 24 hours dotted around for easy access to everyone suffering mental illness, including some as near as possible to homes in the country. They should all have psychiatrist, nurses, therapists, social workers, support workers all working from the same place locally. All working on a rota. Some doing call-outs.
Like a GP out of hours for mental health issues separate from A+E. It shouldn't be a place that requires referal to but somewhere to call in without being initially seen by someone who doesn't have much knowledge of mental illness. Everyone there should know and appreciate every aspect of the different behaviours expressed as a result of mental illness. This should be accessible to everyone suffering with mental illness at whatever level.

I think you are right about 24 hour access to services. I think the trouble with late night drop-ins is that it is very hard to make them safe places for staff and the people who might use them. In principle an excellent idea though.

I would really like to write a petition expressing what everyone as individuals wants from the system and get it to parliament.
If we all talked about our ideas on here and about areas of the system that we feel are unfair or inappropriate we could make sure we are heard.
We can't all completely agree on everything but we could try and get some good ideas together. Not a way to name particular staff we feel let down by or haven't had the professional care we've been entitled to from. Just stories of the faults and failings and suggestion of improvements.

On this point A report published by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health, has shown that one in five MPs surveyed has experience of a mental health problem but fears disclosing this because of the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health issues.

An anonymous questionnaire completed by 94 MPs, 100 Lords and 151 parliamentary staff has revealed that:

 27% had personal experience of a mental health problem including 19% of MPs, 17% of Peers, 45% of staff
 94% had family or friends who have experienced a mental health problem
 86% of MPs said their job was stressful
 1 in 3 said work-based stigma and the expectation of a hostile reaction from the media and public prevented them from being open about mental health issues.

This is the website for the The All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health

http://www.appg-mentalhealth.org.uk/

You can start a petion to Number 10 on this site below. You just have to let people know when you have done one so they can sign it.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/

You can also find out if your own MP has been speaking about mental health on this site below.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

Regards,
Op.cit

 

[eternaljourney]

Thank you very much, that's really useful information

 

[Lyra]

I sometimes wonder if the government really care. This year the government made a huge noise saying that the annual health ratings would take into account patients experiences and they would not just believe everything the trusts said. Evidence was sent in showing a lot of short falls in the system where I live. The PCT itself published the results of a survey showing that patients rated mental health as poor in this area and you just need to look at the reviews about the trust on the patient opinions web site-this is an NHS web site - to see that patients don't rate the care offered very highly - and the people doing the ratings get sent all the reports from the patients opinons web site.
What rating did the government give our mental health services - a very good!!!!