Category: Public Mental Health

The abandoned illness: a report by the Schizophrenia Commission

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date December 12, 2012

By The Schizophrenia Commission (November 2012)

This report is the result of a year-long inquiry into the delivery of care for patients affected by schizophrenia and psychosis. Recommendations include: a radical overhaul of poor acute care units, including better use of alternatives to manage the transition between hospital and community services; greater partnership and shared decision making with service users; extending general practitioner training in mental illness to improve support for those with psychosis managed through primary care; extending the ‘Early Intervention for Psychosis’ services rather than cutting or diluting them; action to address inequalities and meet the needs of disadvantaged groups; and greater use of personal budgets, particularly for those with long-term care needs.

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Public Mental Health Well-Being

A primary care approach to mental health and wellbeing: case study report on Sandwell

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date December 12, 2012

By NHS Confederation (November 2012)

This report presents a detailed case study of the journey Sandwell’s health commissioners went through to respond to a number of important health inequalities within its local population. It focuses on how its health service commissioners responded to specific health inequalities to develop a primary care-led approach to improving mental health and wellbeing.

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CCGs Commissioning Learning Disabilities Public Mental Health

Equally accessible? Making mental health services more accessible for learning disabled or autistic people

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date December 12, 2012

By Mental Health Network NHS Confederation (November 2012)

This paper reports findings from a study which found that people with autism or learning disabilities can suffer double the amount of setbacks if they need mental health support. It calls on providers and commissioners of mental health services to better accommodate the mental health needs of people with autism or learning disabilities.

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Public Mental Health

Liaison psychiatry in the modern NHS

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date December 4, 2012

By Centre for Mental Health (November 2012)

This report argues that every NHS hospital should have a liaison psychiatry service as standard as it could save the average hospital £5 million a year by reducing the number and length of admissions to beds. It adds that even bigger savings could be achieved in future if liaison psychiatry services were extended to work in the community to prevent crises from happening at all.

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Commissioning Public Mental Health

A guide to interpreting and engaging with local change

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date November 22, 2012

By British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (2012)

This report argues that NHS funding arrangements encourage acute hospitals to admit patients to hospital to service high fixed costs for staff and property rather than trying to treat patients at a community level or in the home. It also finds that by international standards patients in England with chronic diseases are more likely to be admitted to hospital and stay much longer once admitted.

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Children General Practice Public Mental Health Young People

Talking self-harm

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date November 20, 2012

By Young Minds (2012)

This report argues that there is a need for more awareness about self-harm amongst young people, parents and professionals. It makes recommendations for more training for healthcare professionals and places emphasis on the need for guidance for GPs on how assessment tools such as NICE guidelines can support the consultation and referral process.

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CCGs Commissioning Local Government Public Mental Health

No health without mental health: guides for local services

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date November 12, 2012

By Centre for Mental Health (2012)

A partnership of leading mental health charities has launched a series of briefings to help develop better local mental health services. Following the publication of the implementation framework for the Government’s mental health strategy, these briefings set out the steps that local authorities and NHS commissioning groups can take to improve mental health care, treatment and support. The briefings explain in practical terms the ways that the new local structures and organisations can make sure that there are good quality mental health services in their local area as well as improving mental health and wellbeing for everyone in the community.

Click here to view these briefings

Local Government Public Mental Health Well-Being

Recovery, public mental health and wellbeing

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date November 2, 2012

By Centre for Mental Health (2012)

This paper argues that local councils and the new health and wellbeing boards can support the commissioning of recovery-oriented services, as well as promoting good mental health and wellbeing in communities. It outlines the ways in which health and wellbeing boards can influence commissioning to promote and protect mental wellbeing and support recovery.

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