999 Calls For Mental Health

[El Cid]

Looks like the Met Police are struggling to cope with both crime and mental health calls.

Rishi has failed to deal with the issue so the Met are pushing for reform. Humberside police already have this policy. It seems like the right thing to do. The NHS need to step up and improve their mental health service.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65741824

[Mister M]

49 minutes ago, El Cid said:

Looks like the Met Police are struggling to cope with both crime and mental health calls.

Rishi has failed to deal with the issue so the Met are pushing for reform. Humberside police already have this policy. It seems like the right thing to do. The NHS need to step up and improve their mental health service.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65741824

I agree that the NHS do need to step up and provide appropriate services when it comes to mental ill health. 

Not only the NHS, but local councils were given responsibility by the coalition government for mental health as well under the 2014 Care Act. However as most will know, that extra responsibility didn't come with commensurate funding.

 

I don't know about anybody else, but I get sick and tired of listening to the same warm words from Chief execs of services and Government ministers about "mental health  having the same parity of esteem as physical health". They know which warm words and soundbites to say but do bugger all about it.

 

Sadly I think the number of tragedies will have to increase before something is done.

[Longcol]

6 minutes ago, Mister M said:

I agree that the NHS do need to step up and provide appropriate services when it comes to mental ill health. 

Not only the NHS, but local councils were given responsibility by the coalition government for mental health as well under the 2014 Care Act. However as most will know, that extra responsibility didn't come with commensurate funding.

 

 

Correct.

 

However since "Care in the Community" back in the 80's, the NHS has been "encouraged" by succesive Tory governments to discharge people with severe mental ill health to the statutory responsibility of the local authority - whilst cutting the funding of LA's.

 

So councils get it in the neck for cutting highly visible services eg libraries, refuse collection - whilst having to spend large amounts on services that affect far fewer people.

[Delbow]

If there were anywhere near enough psychiatric inpatient places in the country it would be much less of a problem. Mental health teams often spend days trying to find a bed somewhere in the country and have to liaise with the police when a bed finally comes available. This has been the case and getting worse for about 20 years now. When a bed becomes available it's often in an expensive private hospital - just use that money to fund cheaper NHS places? How hard can it be?

[harvey19]

5 minutes ago, Delbow said:

If there were anywhere near enough psychiatric inpatient places in the country it would be much less of a problem. Mental health teams often spend days trying to find a bed somewhere in the country and have to liaise with the police when a bed finally comes available. This has been the case and getting worse for about 20 years now. When a bed becomes available it's often in an expensive private hospital - just use that money to fund cheaper NHS places? How hard can it be?

There seem to be many things that should be sorted out quite easily nowadays but aren't.

Money can not be the only reason and it can only be surmised by the phrase, 'Where there's a will there's a way" Is there the will ?

[Findlay]

Lets face it, the UK government and health services are miles behind when it comes to mental health support. 
At the time in WW I, shell shocked soldiers were deemed to be deserters with their symptoms and shot against a wall.

It really is no better now with those who are supposed to be in charge not doing enough to get national support required which is abhorrent and neglectful.
Like SYP with the Rotherham CSE scandal, the goverment and health services need to take responsibilty for their putrid attitude and put in place a whole new service for mental health and not palm off this specialist role to the Police, Ambulance and Fire emergency service workers.

[Delbow]

12 hours ago, Findlay said:

Lets face it, the UK government and health services are miles behind when it comes to mental health support. 
At the time in WW I, shell shocked soldiers were deemed to be deserters with their symptoms and shot against a wall.

It really is no better now with those who are supposed to be in charge not doing enough to get national support required which is abhorrent and neglectful.
Like SYP with the Rotherham CSE scandal, the goverment and health services need to take responsibilty for their putrid attitude and put in place a whole new service for mental health and not palm off this specialist role to the Police, Ambulance and Fire emergency service workers.

To be fair, when Osborne and Cameron took the axe to council and health service funding in 2010 it was obvious to people working in mental health (including me) that it would just fall to blue light services to mop up. Guess what - reducing funding for mental health needs doesn't make the problem go away. Hopefully the Met's decision will jolt government into realising there's no substitute for a properly funded mental health service. Not this government, obviously, but hopefully the next one.

[Anna B]

S

43 minutes ago, Delbow said:

To be fair, when Osborne and Cameron took the axe to council and health service funding in 2010 it was obvious to people working in mental health (including me) that it would just fall to blue light services to mop up. Guess what - reducing funding for mental health needs doesn't make the problem go away. Hopefully the Met's decision will jolt government into realising there's no substitute for a properly funded mental health service. Not this government, obviously, but hopefully the next one.

Mmm, not holding my breath.... 

So, at a time of great instability when mental ill-health has reached crisis levels, neither the NHS nor the Police can deal with the problem....

That's just great.

What about looking at what is causing the ill health in the first place? The rise in mental ill-health  has rocketed over the past few years. It can't be ignored any longer.

[harvey19]

39 minutes ago, Anna B said:

S

Mmm, not holding my breath.... 

So, at a time of great instability when mental ill-health has reached crisis levels, neither the NHS nor the Police can deal with the problem....

That's just great.

What about looking at what is causing the ill health in the first place? The rise in mental ill-health  has rocketed over the past few years. It can't be ignored any longer.

This is what no one wants to acknowledge.

Could it be the use of illegal substances ?

[Delbow]

2 hours ago, harvey19 said:

This is what no one wants to acknowledge.

Could it be the use of illegal substances ?

Given that use of illegal substances is on the decline, categorically not. Especially as a high percentage of illicit drug use is driven by poor mental health rather than vice versa. 

 

Causes of poor mental health are complex and varied, but they include poverty and poor housing.