Mental health services 'lagging behind'

Thursday, 18 December 2003 10:12 PM

Mental health services are continuing to lag behind the rest of the NHS, according to a health watchdog.

Commission for Health Improvement has published a report today highlighting problems of under investment and inadequate facilities.

A national shortage of psychiatrists and inpatient nurses is forcing trusts to rely heavily on bank and agency staff, whom permanent staff feel may not have the skills to deal with violent or aggressive patients. In addition staff are working longer hours and do not have time to attend training courses, or provide activities for patients.

Mental health services for adult patients are prioritised at the cost of children and older people, it was found. Patients with dementia are still mixed with those with mental illnesses on some wards.

CHI acting chief executive Jocelyn Cornwell notes that after years of suffering low prioritisation in the NHS, mental health services remain the 'poor relation'.

However, she did emphasise and praise the commitment and dedication shown by both clinical and non-clinical staff to high quality services for patients within mental health care: 'Even though many staff are working under considerable pressure in difficult environments, we only found a handful of mental health trusts where morale was generally poor.'

The NHS Confederation has welcomed the report as 'an accurate snap shot of the important developments in NHS mental health and the challenges still facing the service'.

Chief executive Dr Gill Morgan says that despite a growing realisation of need for investment in mental health services, action is still needed to put the rhetoric into practice: 'We now need to place as much emphasis on improving mental health as we have had on cutting waiting lists.'

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