Government commits to working for good mental health

2 February 2011

In releasing its mental health strategy today, the Government has committed to promoting the good mental health and improving services for those with mental health problems.

With a focus on early intervention among young people and public mental health in the round, the future vision coalition is clear that the next steps are to seize the opportunities in the strategy to work with the government to get it implemented across the country.

Future Vision Coalition co-chair Dr Andrew McCulloch said:

"The Government has today made a much needed commitment both to promote good mental health for all and to improve support for those who experience mental ill health. People of all ages with mental health problems are too often excluded from the opportunities in life that others enjoy.

"The focus on early intervention in children and young people is vital and there is a welcome recognition of the need to act on both public mental health and NHS service improvement. At the heart of all this is an ambitious move towards a recovery method for mental health.

"While we will work with government in all the various ways set out in the strategy, in a world of no central control in both local government and the NHS, we need to be clear how the various parts of the system will work together through a nationally agreed strategy."

Mental Health Network director Steve Shrubb said:

"This strategy is part of the government’s welcome commitment to ensure mental health is given equal importance to physical health. We know recession is bad for the nation’s mental health and we need to ensure mental health services are not disproportionately cut as the NHS looks to make unprecedented savings.

"To make sure this doesn’t happen we are keen to work quickly with the department to make sure mental health services are paid for in the same way physical health is. This will require resources to develop and implement properly."

Liz Felton, CEO, Together:

"In particular, the recognition that broader aspects of a person’s life affect mental health is to be welcomed, as is the commitment to ensure equal and fair access to quality, appropriate services.

"We are delighted to see a commitment to agencies working together to support people to make choices, to live ordinary lives and to play a valued role in their communities. We know from experience that it is this that most improves people’s wellbeing for the long term."

Sean Duggan, joint chief executive of Centre for Mental Health, said:

"We warmly welcome the Government's commitment to promoting mental health for people of all ages and to intervening early when people first experience mental ill health. We especially welcome the pledge to develop diversion services in police stations and courts across England.

"And we strongly support the move to focus mental health services on helping people to achieve their own recovery ambitions, especially through improved support into paid work. We now need to see concerted action to realise the vision across the country."

Professor Dinesh Bhugra, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:

"We welcome the new strategy and the commitment the government has shown both to public mental health and to quality services for mental health patients. It is vital at a time of austerity for the NHS that mental and physical health care receive equal resources - particularly as mental health problems tend to be more widespread in times of economic hardship.

"If this does not happen, we are in danger of reversing the gains that have been made in the quality of care in mental health over the last decade and the hope for recovery that has been possible for those who have benefited from them. There is still a long way to go for mental health patients to receive a satisfactory standard of care and treatment throughout England, and the challenge set out in this strategy needs to be taken up by commissioners and providers in health and social care."

Richard Webb and Jonathan Phillips, joint chairs of the ADASS mental health, drugs and alcohol policy network said:

"We welcome this new strategy - particularly its broader focus on mental well-being and on ensuring that people have greater personal choice and control over services.

"We also think that it provides a strong platform for making sure that mental health services are truly personalised. We know that housing, education and employment opportunities, and strong families and communities, all promote good mental health. Local government and community organisations have a lot to offer to make this vision a reality for more people.

"In the current economic climate we all need to work together more than ever so that public money is well-invested and that people with mental health issues get a fair deal."

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of the mental health charity Mind, said:

"This new strategy is a great step forward, recognising that mental health is more than simply a 'health' issue, rather one which needs to be taken into account by a wide range of Government departments, from housing to work and pensions.

I sincerely hope that all the suggestions laid out in 'No health without mental health' come to fruition despite the challenging times in which we live, and that the investment needed is made to ensure that people experiencing mental distress receive the best possible care and support, thus enabling them to play a full and active role in society."

Paul Jenkins, Rethink Chief Executive, said:

"Rethink welcomes the commitment from ministers to bring mental health services to the fore and ensure a genuine parity of esteem between mental and physical health services.

"We are particularly pleased with the promise to expand the psychological therapy programme. Accessing psychological therapies can be particularly difficult for people with severe mental illnesses, yet it has been proven time and again that it is a treatment which is both beneficial to recovery and cost effective.

"Rethink also welcomes the pledge to tackle stigma and discrimination by continuing to support the Time to Change campaign. Changing attitudes towards people affected by mental illness will be vital if the Government is serious about achieving its vision of a Big Society. We look forward to working with the coalition in reaching the goals laid out."