NHS Confederation: Room for improvement in mental health

The NHS Confederation has praised health trusts for providing dedicated services to mentally ill people.

A review by the Healthcare Commission today finds gaps in care provision, but notes that 77 per cent of mental health service users rated the service as good, very good or excellent.

NHS Confederation policy director Nigel Edwards said this was "a tribute to the hard work and dedication of staff, who often work in extremely challenging circumstances".

"Mental health has often been a Cinderella service in the NHS, yet one in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives," he added.

"So it is reassuring that the Healthcare Commission’s review of community adult mental health services has praised local implementation teams for generally performing well."

However, he argued there was "always room for improvement", saying today’s review "presents some serious challenges for mental health trusts and their partners in the services that they provide".