November ebulletin from the Centre for Mental Health

Welcome to the November ebulletin from Centre for Mental Health (http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk). Last week we launched our new report, Liasion Psychiatry in the Modern NHS, with a feature in The Times and a letter signed by four other leading mental and physical health charities.
This week, on Tuesday the NHS Mandate sent out a clear message that mental health must be given ‘parity of esteem’ with physical health. The Centre welcomed the new mandate and called for concerted action to make parity for mental health a reality across the country.
On Wednesday, the Schizophrenia Commission released a new report outlining the actions that must be taken to address the inequalities in treatment faced by people who experience psychosis. It highlights the Centre and the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network’s ImROC project as an example of good practice and makes the case for IPS employment schemes to help people with schizophrenia secure and maintain employment. The Centre helped to produce an LSE report for the Commission, Effective Interventions in Schizophrenia: the economic case.
In this ebulletin:
NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
Centre for Mental Health welcomes Schizophrenia Commission report and calls for action to implement key recommendations
NHS Mandate must make parity of esteem a reality across England, says Centre for Mental Health
A liaison psychiatry service in every hospital can save the NHS millions and improve lives
“Police custody is not an appropriate place for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis”
Local councils can support Recovery and improve mental health and wellbeing for everyone
EVENTS
Promoting physical health in secure psychiatric care
IPS courses in November
POLICY WATCH
Mental health and the market
The QIPP collection of good ideas
The needs of girls in the penal system – APPG reports
Lord Ramsbotham asks Government about prisoners mental health
Criminal Justice Alliance calls for PCC’s to champion local liaison and diversion services
BLOG
The new minister’s agenda
CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Centre for Mental Health welcomes new policy and fundraising staff
NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
Centre for Mental Health welcomes Schizophrenia Commission report and calls for action to implement key recommendations
14 November 2012
“People with schizophrenia have been marginalised for too long. It is now time for action to close the unacceptable gap in health, life chances and expectations,” Centre for Mental Health chief executive Sean Duggan said today.
Responding to the publication of The Abandoned Illness, the report of the Schizophrenia Commission, by Rethink Mental Illness, Sean Duggan said: “The facts about the lives of people with schizophrenia are stark. A person with schizophrenia can expect to live 15-20 years less than average; they have just a one in 12 chance of being in paid work; and only one in ten is offered evidence-based psychological therapy when they need it.
“We support the recommendations of today’s report as a means to achieve a sea change in the life experiences of people with schizophrenia. Mental health services need to focus on intervening early, on supporting recovery and on improving inpatient care. People with schizophrenia need to be given opportunities to fulfil their potential and improve their physical health.
“We agree that a national strategy is needed to improve secure mental health care and to ensure that the £1.2 billion cost of secure services is better spent on helping people to recover and rebuild their lives.
“Yesterday the NHS Mandate sent a clear message to the NHS about the importance of improving mental health support. Today’s report sets out some of the changes that are needed to make parity a reality and dramatically improve the life chances of people living with psychosis.”
Read more here http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_schizophrenia_commission_report.aspx

The Centre’s Marija Trachtenberg and Michael Parsonage contributed to the accompanying economic report produced for the commission, Effective Interventions in Schizophrenia: the economic case. The report evaluates the cost effectiveness of various interventions, including Individual Placement and Support and Peer Support. You can download the report here http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_schizophrenia_commission_report.aspx
NHS Mandate must make parity of esteem a reality across England, says Centre for Mental Health
13 November 2012
“The NHS has been given a clear mandate to tackle the longstanding and long outdated disparity between mental and physical health care today,” Centre for Mental Health chief executive Sean Duggan said today.
Responding to the publication of the NHS Mandate, Sean Duggan said: “The Government has sent an unambiguous message to the NHS today about the importance of giving equal priority to mental and physical health.
“It is now up to the NHS, both nationally and locally, to take action to tackle the disparities that exist between mental and physical health care.
Read more at http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_NHS_mandate.aspx
A liaison psychiatry service in every hospital can save the NHS millions and improve lives
8 November 2012
 Every NHS hospital should have a liaison psychiatry service as standard, according to a new report from Centre for Mental Health and the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network. Liaison psychiatry services provide immediate access to specialist mental health support for people being treated for physical health problems, most often in general hospitals and in some cases in the community.
The report, Liaison Psychiatry in the Modern NHS, finds that liaison psychiatry services can save an average hospital £5 million a year by reducing the number and length of admissions to beds. It adds that even bigger savings could be achieved in future if liaison psychiatry services were extended to work in the community to prevent crises from happening at all.
People who have a long term physical health condition are more than twice as likely to have a mental health problem as the general population. This can have a huge effect on a patient’s chances of recovery. For example, someone with chronic heart failure is eight times more likely to die within 30 months if they also have depression. Altogether, there are over 4.6 million people with a long term physical health condition and co-morbid mental health problem, all of whom would benefit from more integrated physical and mental health care.
Half of all hospital inpatients have mental health conditions such as depression and dementia. Identifying and managing these conditions quickly and effectively helps people to recover and reduces their length of stay in hospital.
There is a wide variation in the way liaison psychiatry services work and who they help. Many offer training and support to other clinical staff as well as providing mental health care themselves.
The report concludes that well run liaison psychiatry services can be highly cost-effective, saving more money than they cost. The greatest immediate impact can be achieved by supporting older patients in hospital but liaison psychiatry services also have the potential to offer better care at potentially lower cost to many other groups, both in hospital and in the community.
Sean Duggan, chief executive of Centre for Mental Health, said: “Liaison psychiatry is still seen in some quarters as an optional extra in the NHS. This needs to change. Tackling the artificial divide between mental and physical health will help people to recover more quickly and save the NHS money. To do this we need a dedicated liaison psychiatry service in every hospital.”
Paddy Cooney, interim director of the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network said: “There are a number of NHS organisations doing some really great work to improve liaison psychiatry services. But we need to see this become standard practice so that all patients in need of urgent mental health support can access it when they need it.
“Evidence shows the significant economic and health benefits that these services can deliver. Failing to treat people’s mental and physical health problems together can have negative consequences for the individual, and costs the NHS more money in the long term.
“Joined up working between NHS organisations is key to making mental health services effective for the people who need them. I hope this report will provide the necessary evidence to show just how important it is that these services become commonplace in the NHS.”
Dr Paul Gill, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry, said: “This report is most welcome. For too long, patients in our acute hospitals have not had reliable access to skilled mental health care. Hospitals that do have access to liaison psychiatry services attest to their value and importance. Quality improvement programmes, such as PLAN, already exist, and assist liaison teams in evaluating and improving their service. Surveys conducted by PLAN have identified the value that both patients and hospital staff place on these teams. Unfortunately, there are too few liaison psychiatry teams, and too many hospitals do not yet have access to them. We call on commissioners to take note of this report, and invest in services that cover every acute hospital in the UK.”
Read more here http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_liaison_psychiatry.aspx “Police custody is not an appropriate place for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis”
25 October 2012
“We are extremely concerned by these figures showing one in three place of safety orders is to police custody rather than a hospital, despite the fact that police custody is meant to be used as a place of safety only in exceptional circumstances.
Police stations can be crowded and chaotic. They are not a suitable place for someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. The Government must hold the NHS to account for ensuring that appropriate places of safety are provided across the country for people of all ages.”
Sean Duggan, Centre for Mental Health chief executive, said today, commenting on the release of the 2012 statistics monitoring uses of the Mental Health Act. The survey finds that the number of people subject to detention under the Mental Health Act has risen by six per cent. The figures also show that the number of Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) issued has increased by ten per cent from 2011. The CTO is the order that allows for people to be recalled if they do not comply with their treatment or engage with community mental health services following their discharge from compulsory treatment in hospital.
“CTOs are designed for a small number of people with specific needs. They should not be used as a routine form of hospital discharge and should only be used for as long as the power of recall is necessary for any patient. People with a mental health condition must be given the same rights and choices in managing their care as those with a physical health condition.”
Read more at http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_NHS_mandate.aspx
Local councils can support recovery and improve mental health and wellbeing for everyone, say Centre for Mental Health and NHS Confederation Mental Health Network
24 October 2012
Local councils and the new Health and Wellbeing Boards can support the commissioning of recovery-oriented services, as well as promoting good mental health and wellbeing in communities, according to a briefing paper released today by Centre for Mental Health and the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network.
The paper outlines the ways in which Health and Wellbeing Boards can influence commissioning to promote and protect mental wellbeing and support recovery and is the third in a series of briefings that are being produced by the Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change (ImROC) project.
Andy Bell, deputy chief executive at Centre for Mental Health said: “Health and Wellbeing Boards have the potential to create communities that can help someone to build a life beyond illness, improve the lives of people with mental health conditions and reduce inequalities in the services people use and in the places people live and work.”
The paper sets out the steps that health care providers, those using or working in mental health services, voluntary groups, commissioners of services, Health and Wellbeing Boards, and those working in public health can take to support recovery.
Read more at http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_local_councils_can_support_recovery.aspx
EVENTS
Promoting physical health in secure psychiatric care
A free one day conference for senior clinicians and non clinicians working in secure mental health services across the UK
13 November 2012, London
This conference is for senior clinicians and managers working in secure mental health services across the UK. This is the first national conference led by physical health teams at England’s three high secure hospitals to share good practice and present the latest evidence about how best to support the physical health of patients at all levels of secure care.
Supported by the Centre for Mental Health and the National High Secure Commissioning Group, the conference will include presentations on managing diabetes, vitamin D and obesity as well as sessions on the effective management of physical healthcare services in secure settings.
The conference is a unique opportunity for leaders in the field from across the country to come together and share experiences and expertise. It will give delegates practical advice about managing physical health in secure settings and enable discussion of some of the biggest dilemmas in this area.
Sean Duggan will be chairing the morning session.
For programme details, speakers, and to book visit the Centrevents website: http://www.centrevents.co.uk/secure.html
IPS training courses
Understanding the UK benefits system, 27-28 November, London
Can’t work; won’t work! Motivational Interviewing, 19-20 November, London
Recognising the complexity of implementing an evidence-based practice, we offer a range of training and development supports to help services to deliver evidence-based supported employment.
For more details visit our website: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/employment/ips_training_centre_dates.aspx
POLICY WATCH
The needs of girls in the penal system – APPG reports
29/10/2012
http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/policy/policyviewer.aspx?PWID=867
The QIPP collection of good ideas
29/10/2012
http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/policy/policyviewer.aspx?PWID=866
Mental health and the market
29/10/2012
http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/policy/policyviewer.aspx?PWID=865
Lord Ramsbotham asks Government how they can ensure the transfer of prisoners to hospitals under the Mental Health Act ins completed in under 14 days
22/10/2012
http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/policy/policyviewer.aspx?PWID=862
Mental Health Strategy for Wales launched
23/10/2012
http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/policy/policyviewer.aspx?PWID=861
BLOG
How public health can help the neediest parents
27/07/2012
http://blog.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/2012/11/15/how-public-health-can-help-the-neediest-parents/
CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Centre for Mental Health welcomes new members of staff
16 November 2012
Kaya Makarau Schwartz joins the Centre’s fundraising department as Fundraising Administrator. Helena Brice is our new Programme Support Officer, Sophie Colman joins the Centre as Researcher, evaluating MACUK’s approach to tackling mental health in UK gangs and Anna Saunders is the Researcher working on the Bradley Report Revisited Commission.
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The next ebulletin will be in December
Best wishes,
Jen Glyn
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