Summary
NHS England’s “Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: One Year On” report marks the anniversary of the independent Mental Health Taskforce’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health for the NHS in England. It summarises progress made in the first year of the programme, and gives examples of good practice in local services.
Reference
Five year forward view for mental health: one year on. London: NHS England, March 2017.
Related comment:
Reference
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: One Year On – Claire Murdoch. [Online]: NHS England, March 6th 2017.
See also:
Reference
Improving outcome measurement in liaison mental health care has led to us learning from our successes and failures – Alex Thomson. [Online]: NHS England, March 3rd 2017.
Also of interest, concerning improvements to adult secure services:
Reference
A big step towards meeting our objectives – Dr David Fearnley. [Online]: NHS England, March 8th 2017.
Older People’s Access to Psychological Therapies
“ …the proportion of older adults – those aged 65 and over – accessing IAPT services is low, rising from 5.5 percent in 2012-13 to 7 percent in 2015-16. This is despite the fact that recovery rates of 60.4% are higher than the rest of the population (46.3%)”
Reference
Older people are losing out on Psychological Therapy – Professor Alistair Burns. [Online]: NHS England, February 22nd 2017.
Global Digital Exemplars for Mental Health
Investment in digital services to improve care for patients with mental health problems.
Reference
Mental health patients set to benefit from pioneering new digital services. [Online]: NHS England, April 12th 2017.
This relates to:
Reference
Global Digital Exemplars. [Online]: NHS England, 2017.
Reversals of Fortune?
Mental health spending will be cut by £4.5 million over five English regions this year.
“The largest cut, of £1.9m or 3.6% , will be made in Walsall, in the West Midlands…” (Pulse).
Reference
Mental health care cuts in England ‘to total £4.5m’. London: BBC Health News, April 25th 2017.
July 2017 Update: Rising Demand?
An NHS Providers survey of NHS trusts suggests that mental health services in England are increasingly at risk of being overwhelmed by a combination of rising demand and staff shortages. Similarly an FOI investigation by BBC Radio 5 Live Daily recently indicated rising numbers of ambulance call-outs to people suffering from suspected mental health problems.
Reference
Mental health care ‘risks being over-run’. London: BBC Health News, July 7th 2017.
Thousands More Mental Health Workers: July 2017 Update
Plans include:
- 2,000 additional nurses, consultants and therapists in child and adolescent mental health services.
- 2,900 additional therapists and health professionals to support adult talking therapies.
- 4,800 additional nurses and therapists in crisis care settings.
- Improved mental health support for women around the time of giving birth.
- Additional early intervention teams working with people at risk of psychosis.
Reference
Mental health staff recruitment plan for England. London: BBC Health News, July 31st 2017.
Public Sector: Higher Prevalence of Mental Ill-Health, or “Sickie” Culture?
The charity Mind has reported that public sector staff are more likely to take sick days for mental health reasons, and to feel anxious at work, than employees in the private sector.
Reference
Public sector employees ‘more anxious’, charity says. London: BBC Health News, June 1st 2017.
Workplace Wellbeing Index and Survey
The charity Mind has reported that men are more likely than women to suffer mental health problems associated with work / employment issues, but that they are less likely to seek help.
Reference
Third of men with poor mental health blame jobs, says Mind. London: BBC Health News, August 9th 2017.
More Statistics: In-Brief
NHS Digital estimates one in six of the population in England, aged 16 to 64, have a mental health problem. Ten statistical charts summarise mental health epidemiology with a broad-brush approach:
Reference
Brown, D. [and] Triggle, N. (2017). Mental health: 10 charts on the scale of the problem. London: BBC Health News, September 30th 2017.
Regarding Scotland
Reference
Scottish government announces mental health funding boost. London / Scotland: BBC Scotland News / BBC Health News, October 10th 2017.
