Anxiety UK fear potential mental health services meltdown

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Cuts in frontline budgets, major reorganization in the NHS, a lack of resources for GPs and healthcare staff who are not always as understanding of anxiety and mental health disorders are all factors that are potentially undermining the quality of mental health care according to Anxiety UK.

The country’s leading anxiety disorders charity, Anxiety UK, fear the combination of all of these concerns could lead to a potential meltdown of mental health services in the UK in the coming months.

Anxiety UK CEO Nicky Lidbetter says: “We have seen and heard some very positive developments in recent years and the Time for Change campaign has made good progress in tackling and reducing the stigma often associated with mental health illness among the wider public.

“However, there are a multitude of other factors that raise serious concerns here at Anxiety UK around the delivery of, and access to, good quality mental health services.

“For instance, we know that spending is already three times less on mental health services in some areas than it is on others*1.

“In addition, spending on mental health care overall fell for the second year running according to figures provided by Department of Health officials to the health select committee recently.

“Budget pressures may lead the newly created GP-led clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) who are now responsible for commissioning mental health services locally to look for savings on the current arrangements that are in place.

“There is a strong economic case to invest in mental health services as failure to do so will only will only increase the pressure on more expensive acute care while leaving families in deeper crises.

“We also know that following the publication of a recent survey of local authorities by YoungMinds that two-thirds of local authorities have cut their budgets for children and young people’s mental health services (CAMHS) since the coalition government came to power in 2010.

“Scaling back on mental health support by local authorities will only lead to greater problems longer term resulting in more complex and more expensive treatments if early interventions are not provided.

“We need to see a much more joined up approach between local and central government in order for health policy to be successfully delivered without jeopardising the mental health needs of young people and other anxiety sufferers.”

Ms Lidbetter also highlighted the recent comments by the president of the Royal College of General Practitioners who claimed patients are being failed by the NHS because family doctors do not have enough time, training or resources to give them proper care.

Dr Clare Gerada, a GP who is trained in psychiatry, said that mental health often gets forgotten because the health service is designed around hospital and medicines rather than identifying and treating psychological disorders.

“Dr Gerada rightly highlighted the fact that mental health issues were responsible for about 25 per cent of GP consultations and should be a greater NHS priority.

“Without the necessary training, time and resources we are going to see more and more sufferers not receiving the right diagnosis or support.

“All of these issues need addressing if we are to ensure the delivery and quality of mental health services is maintained and improved, especially at a time when services like ours are experiencing unprecedented demand.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. Paul Burstow MP is to lead a year-long commission on mental health for the Lib Dem thinktank, Centre Forum. He obtained the breakdown of the 2011-12 local spending figures, which have not previously been disclosed, through parliamentary questions.

Anxiety UK is a user-led charity with more than forty years’ experience in supporting those living with anxiety. Anxiety disorders are common and treatable. Anxiety UK works to relieve and support those living with these conditions by providing information, support and understanding via an extensive range of services, including fast access to reduced cost 1:1 therapy services. The Anxiety UK helpline alone receives over 16,000 calls a year from people suffering from phobias and anxiety disorders.

The charity provides support to people with any anxiety condition, or specific phobia such as fear of spiders, blushing, vomiting, being alone, public speaking, heights - in fact, any fear that stops people from living their lives to the full.

For more information visit anxietyuk.org.uk