Rethink: Health inequalities are killing people with mental illness

Monday, 16 March 2009 12:00 AM

Rethink severe mental illness, today (Sunday March 15) called for urgent action to end the "death sentence" imposed by health inequalities.

The House of Commons Health Select Committee, today (Sunday March 15) publishes a new report into inequalities that highlights "shocking" inequalities betyween mental health and physical health that are costing lives.

People with schizophrenia die, on average, ten years younger than the general population (2). Today's (March 15) select committee report found that "the health needs of mental health patients are almost entirely ignored by specialist mental health services". It also stated that this could be the "tip of the iceberg" of missed opportunities to tackle health inequalities.

Rethink Director of Public Affairs, Paul Corry said:

"Health inequalities are imposing a death sentence on people with severe mental illness. People are dying because they can't get access to the care and treatment for cancer, heart disease and other common physical illnesses, just because they have a mental illness.

"The lives of people with mental illness are being put at risk by professionals overlooking their physical needs. People with severe mental health problems are more at risk of certain illness such as diabetes and cancer. Our members and the people using our services complain they are ignored by GP,s hospital doctors and nurses when concerned about their physical health.

"We could save hundreds of lives a year if the NHS puts into place some simple, practical steps such as ensuring all people with a mental illness receive regular physical health checks which almost half are currently being denied (3), making GP practices more accessible and working with the voluntary sector' to tailor physical health services to meet the needs of people with severe mental illness.

• Rethink has produced a guide to GPs to help them make simple and reasonable adjustments to ensure people with severe mental illness use their services.
  
• Rethink is working in partnership with some Primary care Services to run tailoired smoking cessation services.
  
• Rethink has produced a physical health toolkit to support professionals and people with severe mental illness identifying physical health care needs.

Spokespeople available for interview. FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:

Hilary Caprani, Acting Media Manager on 020 7840 3144 or hilary.caprani@rethink.org, or
Vicky Trimikliniotis, Snr Media Officer on 020 7840 3146 or vicky.trimikliniotis@rethink.org
Rebecca Stambridge, Media Officer on 020 7840 3145 rebecca.stambridge@rethink.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

1) House of Commons, Health Committee, "Health Ineqaulities" Third report of session 2008 - 2009 volume 1

2) The Disability Rights Commission report, Unequal Treatment, was published in September 2006. It found that:

• Women with schizophrenia are 42% more likely to get breast cancer
  
• People with schizophrenia are almost twice as likely as other citizens to have bowel cancer - the second most common cause of cancer death in Britain
  
• People with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder or depression have far higher rates of obesity, smoking, heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and stroke than other people
  
• Despite this evidence, GP surgeries and health trusts are breaking the law by not implementing the Disability Discrimination Act

3) Rethink surveyed 942 people with severe mental illness from January to April 2008. 52% said that the GP had not offered them an annual health check in the last 2 years.

4) Rethink's "What's Reasonable" Mental Illness and Disability Law in your GP practice.

About Rethink

Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life. We aim to provide hope and empowerment through effective services and support to all those who need us and campaign for change through greater awareness and understanding.

For further information on the charity and its work, visit: www.rethink.org or call 0845 456 0455.

The Mental Health Shop was created by two leading mental health charities, Rethink and Mental Health Media, and features an array of books, leaflets, DVD's and videos on a range of mental health topics including recovery, treatment and discrimination. This unprecedented collaboration now allows for a 'one stop shop' combining a range of mental health publications and products.Visit www.mentalhealthshop.org

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