Mental health is no longer the NHS Cinderella service, says government

July 11, 2005
by Mike Andrews

Increased funding has meant that mental health is no longer the Cinderella service of the NHS, the government said today.

Yet the upbeat statement by Health Minister Rosie Winterton comes one month after a Healthcare Commission audit highlighted a culture of violence on acute mental health and learning disability wards.

Also, in April last year, a report by the mental health charity Rethink stated that 50,000 people with mental health problems were being "left to rot"

Ms Winterton's assessment followed the release today of a department of health report claiming that key mental health targets, set by the government in its NHS Plan of 2000, have been met.

The report, entitled The 2004/05 National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services, states investment in mental health services has increased by seven per cent between 2003-4 and 2004-5. This amounts to an extra £293 million.

Ms Winterton said the report shows the government has met targets for setting up home treatment, assertive outreach and early intervention teams.

The report reveals other targets - such as recruiting carer support staff - have not been met.

Speaking at the National Mental Health Nursing Conference in Leicester, Ms Winterton said "record" amounts of money is now getting through to frontline mental health services.

She said: "For too long mental health has been seen as the 'Cinderella service' of the health service. But this has changed…"

Critics are, however, likely to fiercely dispute Ms Winterton's claim that mental health services are equal in quality to other specialisms within the health service.

Ms Winterton added that the controversial mental health bill, presently going through parliament, is a "key part" of the plan to improve life for people with mental health problems.

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Mental heath workforce targets the government says it has achieved:
* Crisis resolution (home treatment) teams - target 335; 343 achieved
* Early intervention teams - target 50; 109 achieved
* Gateway staff (clinicians assessing people with acute mental health problems) - target 500; 1,520 achieved
* Assertive outreach teams - target 220; 261 achieved

Mental heath workforce targets the government said it has missed:
* Carer support staff - target 700; 654 achieved
* Graduate workers (primary care staff trained in brief therapy techniques) - target 1,000; 648 achieved
* Number of people seen by assertive outreach teams - target 20,000; 17,500 achieved

What else the report states:
* All prisoners with severe mental health illness (SMI) to have care plan - target: 5,000 by April 2004; achieved
* Prison in-reach staff recruited to manage prisoners with SMI - target: 300 in-reach staff by Dec 2004; 329 achieved
* Moving patients from high secure service - target: move 400 patients by Dec 2004; 441 achieved.
* Create new secure personality disorder places - target: 140 new personality disorder places by DEC 2004; achieved - 205 beds open. Set to be increased further in June 2005.
* Creation of 75 specialist personality disorder rehabilitation hostel places by 2004. Achieved

See also:
May 25, 2005: One third of mental health staff have threatened to use medication or seclusion to control psychiatric patients' behaviour - findings released in Healthcare Commission audit exposing culture of violence on wards
March 29, 2005: Government again under fire over plans to change mental health law - parliamentary committee warns that planned legislation would erode civil liberties
April 19, 2004: 50,000 people with mental health problems 'left to rot' - warns the charity Rethink. But health minister Rosie Winterton puts the case for the government.

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