Equal treatment for mental health problems still no nearer
#NursingEducationSummit2018 Equal treatment for mental health problems still no
For More details visit: https://nursingeducation.conferenceseries.com/
#NursingEducationSummit2018 Equal treatment for mental health problems still no
For More details visit: https://nursingeducation.conferenceseries.com/
Results from an RCN survey of mental
health nursing staff show more than half think mental health equality
hasn’t been achieved five years after the Westminster Government
pledged to introduce measures to ensure people with serious mental health
problems had the same access to treatment as that experienced by people with
physical health problems. Health departments in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland have pledged similar measures.
Almost
four in 10 respondents considered that their mental health setting was
ill-equipped to respond to the physical health needs of people with serious
mental illness.
Nursing
staff say that to achieve mental health equality more funding for mental health
care is needed, along with safe staffing of services and better commissioning
of services.
Tim
Coupland, RCN Programme Lead for Parity of Esteem, said: “It’s not only a
tragedy that people with mental illness die so much earlier than the general
population, it’s also scandalous in a modern health service that we still have
so far to go.”
The
RCN will push for sufficient funding for mental health services and develop
guidance to help nursing staff in their clinical practice. The College is also
asking nursing staff to forward examples of good practice that they know are
making a difference.
Tim
added: “We want to find out exactly what nursing staff working in mental health
think will make a difference. The College and all nursing
staff, not just those working in mental health, are determined to work with
others to increase life expectancy for people with mental illness.”
Today
the RCN hosts the launch of the charter by Equally Well UK, a new
collaborative backed by over 50 health and care
organisations. The charter invites those who support it to make pledges for
the action they will take to improve physical health support for people with
severe mental illness.
