NHS mental health services improving
The majority of users of mental health services are happy with the care they get on the NHS, a new survey from the Healthcare Commission finds.
But the report highlights shortfalls in users’ access to out of hours and crisis care, while also raising questions about continuing care.
More than three quarters (77 per cent) of users of outpatient and community mental health services rated their care as excellent, very good or good. Less than ten per cent of those questioned rated their care as poor or very poor.
And the proportion of people saying they are treated with respect and dignity has risen from 79 per cent to 80 per cent in the last year, while 69 per cent said their psychiatrists listened to them carefully, up from 68 per cent.
Today’s study of 26,500 people was welcomed by the NHS Confederation as a “tribute to the hard work and dedication of staff who often work in extremely difficult circumstances”.
“Mental health services often come in for unfair criticism, especially in connection with high profile cases that hit the headlines, but the commission’s survey shows that the vast majority of people who rely on these services are happy with the care they receive,” said chief executive Gill Morgan.
The commission noted, however, that 52 per cent of those questioned did not have the phone number of someone to contact in an emergency, while only 40 per cent had been given access to ‘talking therapies’ such as counseling or psychotherapy in the past year.
In addition, one in four people said they saw different psychiatrists for their last two visits, while nearly half (44 per cent) have had at least one psychiatric appointment cancelled in the past year.
Mental health charity Rethink said the survey was an indication that people who used mental health services were still getting a “raw deal” in comparison to other NHS patients.
“Mental health needs to stay a top priority and the pace of change and reform must continue,” said chief executive Cliff Prior.
Healthcare Commission chief executive Anna Walker said the report was part of her organisation’s “determined effort” to highlight an important but often neglected part of healthcare.
“The survey shows some improvements across the board and it’s good to see that the service is moving in the right direction. However, there are still problems that need to be addressed,” she concluded.
But charity Mind said the report failed to include any information on mental health inpatient experiences, warning that there remained significant areas for concern.
“Twenty per cent of people still feel that they were not treated with dignity and respect by their health professionals. This is simply not an acceptable level of service from the NHS to people with mental health problems” said chief executive Richard Brook.
