Mental health services improving across Wales
10 Apr 2014 04:03 PM
A report published today paints a picture of
improving mental health services in Wales
The
report, which looks at progress made so far against the aims of the Mental
Health (Wales) Measure 2010, shows more local mental health services are now
available and that care is being planned much more around the needs of the
individual.
The
Mental Health (Wales) Measure is a unique piece of legislation designed to
provide a legal framework to improve mental health services in
Wales.
Its
aims include making sure more services are available locally to people to with
mental health problems such as anxiety or depression, and ensuring that people
with mental health problems requiring hospital treatment are assigned a care
co-ordinator and have a care and treatment plan.
Since the Measure came into force in 2012, the majority
(89.9%) of people who require one have a care and treatment plan in place, and
there has been an increase in the number of services available to people
locally, such as open access courses and groups providing
support.
The
report also shows waiting times for assessment have improved, so much so that
the target has been reduced from the previous target of 56 days for referral to
assessment, to 28 days (October 2013). The current number of local primary
mental health practitioners per 20,000 of population is has increased to 1.96
and is almost double the suggested ratio of 1 per 20,000.
In
addition, all health boards have arrangements in place to provide an advocate
to support every individual admitted to hospital with a mental health issue.
This is seen as a very positive development by organisations and individuals,
with 97% of those who responded to a Mind Cymru survey saying their experience
of advocacy as excellent or mostly good.
Health Minister Mark Drakeford said:
“With one in four people experiencing mental ill
health at some point in their lifetime, it is essential that services are
accessible at local level.
“Wales is the only UK country to place a legal
duty on health boards and local authorities around the assessment and treatment
of mental health problems.
“It is important we take stock of progress to date, and I am pleased this
interim report shows there have already been significant improvements to
services, and therefore to the lives of people needing to access
them.
“Patient feedback is key if we are to succeed in
providing services tailored to the individual. Early surveys show that 94 per
cent of people accessing the new local primary mental health services rate them
positively.
“We must now build on the good progress made to
bring about further improvement, for example towards achieving our target that
90 per cent of people requiring intervention are seen within 56
days.
“I am very grateful to those involved in
implementing this important legislation, within the NHS and voluntary sector.
Today’s report shows their efforts really are making a
difference.”
Bill Walden-Jones, Chief Executive of Hafal,
said:
“Hafal’s Members – people with a
serious mental illness and their families – strongly support the new
mental health legislation in Wales and we are delighted to see that this report
shows implementation is on track.
“The Measure, unique to Wales, provides legal
rights to patients which make a real difference – rights to an holistic
care and treatment plan, rights to advocacy, and rights to get back into
services when things go wrong. The Welsh Government developed effective
legislation because it listened to patients and families.
“Wales should be proud of its mental health
legislation which makes it a world leader in supporting vulnerable people on
their pathway to recovery and social integration.”
A
final report will be published before January 2016.
Links
The duty
to review the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 - Interim
report