Mental health provision

What doesn't help this huge increase in those seeking mental health care are those who have jumped on this bandwagon when they are not genuine sufferers.
These people dilute the resources available to those who really need it.
A SIL of mine has a sister who has given up work as a special needs teacher because she has worked out that she gets almost as much money as she did when she was working for staying at home. The reason she is giving is mental health. There is nothing wrong with her. She won't be the only one doing this.

Its a brilliant idea, I can remember negotiating for someone to spend some time on a psychiatric ward as a day patient when I was a social worker and it helped her no end.

I think there must be some money in NHS contracts currently outsourced to private companies who will have built in some profit.

When those contracts expire it would save money to bring them in-house.

I just hope he adds specialists to the people who work in the hubs. I'm autistic and have adhd, getting appropriate mental health care is impossible unless I pay privately for it, unfortunately I simply cannot afford to do that.
For mental health care all I can access is 4, twenty minute phone calls to talk about either anger issues, anxiety or depression... Thats it and while I do suffer with anxiety it's a, direct result of having no support for adhd or autism. I'd say mental health services are currently laughable and hopefully hell change that.

How sad to label those with mental illness as “nutters” and so hurtful for those who have personal experience themselves or of a loved one who has a mental illness.

The statistics show that most people who have mental health problems do not go around harming other people but are more likely, as has been said, to harm themselves.

Nobody is exempt from becoming mentally ill and I think compassion, understanding and support is needed.

The provision and care which is offered by NHS mental health services is inadequate, as has been said, and there are acute staff shortages. This may often be the reason why some individuals can be a danger to others because they are untreated, unsupported and unsupervised.

We should be lobbying our MPs for more resources to be available for mental health services, which are indeed a Cinderella service, possibly because of the stigma attached, even now, to mental,illness.

Yes it will be hard to make up staffing levels without more resources, and there are shortages of workers - ie unfilled posts, as well as not enough posts in some areas.

There will be some savings through multi-use of public buildings in some areas, but we do need to hear badly of investment.
For all levels: Child, up to 16 sometimes 18:
Adult : 16 to 65
Older adults: 65 plus (separate services for mental illness and dementia)

Two of the advantages of having hubs in say a quiet room in a library, with no big labels on doors, are

Some people are so very isolated in their pain - and I include some very serious cases of depression and some other conditions - it that it brings them to a place where there are others around, often cuppas, and its a chance to socialise just a wee bit.

Having hubs in community places helps bring home to all that mental illnesses are a normal part of our lives. It's another wee step to remove the stigma that still remains. It also had to advantage of being local ie often near shops and other needful places, not some isolated special building with a big Label on it often at the back end of nowhere.

As said above, of course some people need special services not in public places.

As long as the public generally and posts like yours Silvershadow only see Mental illness in terms of not only its most severe instances but the small number of those who are dangerous to others its uphill work and shows great ignorance:

And often only serves to stop people reaching out for help, which as we know from the numbers of younger men taking their own lives, is the worst side of this short sighted understanding of mental health and mental illness.

Thank you OldFrill

OldFrill

These hubs have been trialled over the last 2 years and now being further rolled out/expanded. It's not a sudden new development. The answers to all the questions asked on this thread are available online.

Exactly . Why can’t people be bothered to find out?

These hubs have been trialled over the last 2 years and now being further rolled out/expanded. It's not a sudden new development. The answers to all the questions asked on this thread are available online.

I do wonder where all the staffing, never mind money, will come from for all the services AB talks of.

What's actually going to happen at these hubs? What support will be available?
When I had my clinic at a local psychiatric hospital the waiting room would often be full of policemen escorting people. The police must spend hours doing this. Some seemed fed up but I was often pleasantly surprised at overhearing one being very kind to a poor soul.

Jaxjacky

Silvershadow there could be ‘some nutter’ in your supermarket, corner shop or wherever you might be at anytime. What a derogatory phrase.

Yes, indeed there could be. Rather like the four innocent men stabbed by one in Covent Garden this week while minding their own business or the poor students and others stabbed to death up in Nottingham. Still, we mustn’t use derogatory phrases must we. Might upset their feelings, and that of their supporters.

It's interesting that this thread has been diverted onto a non-PC tangent regarding terminology. The real issue is that it's another Labour promise to definitely make think about possibly talking about doing something and worrying about the funding later

From my understanding they are not actually providing money for extra staff that would be required and expecting the NHS to 'manage' with the people they have. I therefore feel a little skeptical. Time and sympathetic, experienced staff is what is really needed and the true priority.

Silvershadow

A good idea in principle. Much needed as we all agree. However, some of the hubs are going to be set up in banks and libraries I read. I wouldn’t want to be minding my own business choosing a library book when some nutter runs amok with a knife while having an episode.

Why should people be put at risk? It needs a very careful thought process to safeguard everybody.

FGS what a disgraceful uninformed uncaring post It’s clear you’ve read nothing about these hubs and who they are aimed at it’s also clear you’ve no idea about the configuration of local libraries and (ex) banks. Why don’t you educate yourself and then come back with an informed opinion?

Please don’t call people with mental health problems nutters. Very often young people with issues are more of a danger to themselves than anyone else with self harming and attempted or sometimes successful suicide. Being a community mental health officer is not an easy job and often they too then experience mental health problems as a consequence. Increasing the number of trained staff could be a problem.

Silvershadow there could be ‘some nutter’ in your supermarket, corner shop or wherever you might be at anytime. What a derogatory phrase.

sandye

Brilliant idea, I have phoned the crisis team a few times when my daughter has had a manic episode and they are just not interested and she was on the books. Also it my ease some of the prison overcrowding as that's where some end up.

My daughter is psychotic (though she's been better over recent years because she takes her medication regularly) and the care does vary hugely from time to time and from area to area.
She's moved recently and has access to a centre and a good GP who has helped her with obtaining the benefits to which she is entitled. They actually sent somebody to her interview with the Benefits people to give her as much help as they could, so we're hopeful that she will no longer be having to travel to interviews twice a month or more - each trip cost £30 on the train, money which people on benefits do not normally have to hand.
When she was younger she sometimes ended up sectioned because she couldn't get help anywhere, despite being registered with a GP and having access to a centre that was supposed to provide support.

Silvershadow

A good idea in principle. Much needed as we all agree. However, some of the hubs are going to be set up in banks and libraries I read. I wouldn’t want to be minding my own business choosing a library book when some nutter runs amok with a knife while having an episode.

Why should people be put at risk? It needs a very careful thought process to safeguard everybody.

I suspect that these hubs will only be available to those termed 'the worried well' - people with severe and enduring mental health problems will continue to be seen (I would like to hope and can attest to) by the CMHT specialists. People with severe mental health problems are more likely to harm themselves rather than others - despite what you read in the media or newspapers, as tragic as it is, these are very rare occurrences. So I would not be concerned about being attacked by some 'nutter' as you so kindly put it! I'm also assuming that the hubs will be in a confidential and private area....not in the middle of a library etc. with the public wandering by.

We already have a number of hubs i Scotlad and a programme of more to come They are valled The Nook and are run by the Scottish Association for mental health SAMH

Silver shadow, nutters are human beings like you and me. Anyone can suffer from mental illness, and it doesn't mean that they should be stigmatized or treated disrespectfully.
I agree that a public place such as a library may not be the best place for a hub, but my thinking would be more about protecting the privacy and dignity of the person suffering from mental health issues , and protecting them from being humiliated by ignorant members of the public.

Casdon

The idea is good, the stumbling block is going to be a significant staffing problem, for at least the next five years, even if they up the training numbers, because there are just not enough mental health professionals available.

This indeed, I have recently retired from a Community Mental Health Team. They are always short of staff, dire shortage of Consultant Psychiatrists - this is west Wales, but it is a UK wide problem. Not enough professionals or support staff and I believe recently in England they are cutting staff even more due to lack of funding. Waiting lists are phenomenal and often it's crisis work and fire fighting most of the time. Not sure how they are going to fund or staff these hubs sadly!

A good idea in principle. Much needed as we all agree. However, some of the hubs are going to be set up in banks and libraries I read. I wouldn’t want to be minding my own business choosing a library book when some nutter runs amok with a knife while having an episode.

Why should people be put at risk? It needs a very careful thought process to safeguard everybody.

Pippa000

To clarify, this initiative I only proposed for NHS England. Like many of the good ideas, the fact that they are not UK wide, seems to be missing from the announcement.

But Health is devolved to Scotland and Wales and has been since 1999 I don’t expect announcements from NHS England to say that every time and I expect people living in those countries to know that.

To clarify, this initiative I only proposed for NHS England. Like many of the good ideas, the fact that they are not UK wide, seems to be missing from the announcement.