PARLIAMENTARY ROUND UP

26

Prioritising Mental Health

by Sophia Miller, PLMR
After a busy January, the short month of February, which included a Parliamentary recess, saw the Department of Health make mental health one of its priorities. Amongst the initiatives announced by the Department of Health this month was the Crisis Care Concordat. An agreement between mental health trusts, paramedics and the police, the Concordat has been launched to tackle what experts see as a growing crisis in how incidents involving mental health issues should be handled. In particular, the Concordant looks to reduce the use of police custody to detain those with mental health issues when specialist services are not available. The agreement has been signed by 20 national organisations including NHS England, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Association of Chief Police Officers, all of whom are aiming to advance the standards of care for people suffering from a mental health crisis. According to the Department of Health, one in four people will suffer from a mental health problem in their life and this Concordat aims to prevent crises from escalating and to better manage situations when they do occur. Senior Liberal Democrats have been aligning themselves closely with the new Concordant. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg commented: A mental health crisis can already be distressing for individuals and all those involved, but when people arent getting the right support or care it can have very serious consequences. Its unacceptable that there are incidents where young people and even children can end up in a police cell because the right mental health service isnt available to them. Thats why were taking action across the country and across organisations to make sure those with mental health problems are receiving the emergency care they need. Those who signed the agreement envision reducing the number of people who are detained inappropriately by the police because of issues such as extreme anxiety, psychotic episodes, suicidal behaviour or other irrational behaviour endangering others. The concordat will establish the standards of care which people who suffer from a mental health crisis should expect to receive and it will look at how the emergency services should respond to a mental health crisis. This point in particular was picked up by Norman Lamb, Care and Support Minister, said: When someone has a mental health crisis urgent and compassionate care in a safe place is essential a police cell should never need to be used because mental health services are not available. For me, crisis care is the most stark example of the lack of equality between mental and physical health. Better care for people in mental health crises will not only help those living through their darkest hours to recover it can also save lives. The Concordat intends to work with local services to improve the standards of care across the UK. The organisations involved hope to establish a 24-hour helpline for people suffering from mental health issues and will also work with local areas to ensure places of safety are available 24/7 in the event of a mental health crisis. Another aim includes for police vehicles and custody to no longer be used in cases of mental health crises. The Minister for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims, Damian Green commented; The signing of the Concordat is a demonstration of what can be achieved when people work together. From today each organisation will have a clear set of principles to follow and vulnerable people experiencing difficulties will be able to get the right help when and where they need it On top of this we are piloting schemes in which mental health nurses are stationed in police stations. MIND (The National Association for Mental Health) will continue to work with local areas to meet the commitments of the Concordat including organising a series of regional workshops. There will also be an annual summit to review progress. Looking at the broader picture, this month also saw Active Minds running National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, keeping the standards of care in Mental Health very much in the limelight. The week encourages people to help those around them seek help for mental health issues, coinciding nicely with the governments concordat to improve standards of care at a local level and encourage people to seek help before a crisis occurs.