Press release: Healthcare Commission survey is good news for mental health services

12 Sep 2005

The NHS Confederation, which represents more than 90 per cent of NHS organisations, says the Healthcare Commission's survey of mental health service users - published today - is a well-deserved pat on the back for NHS trusts and their staff who provide mental health services.

Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the Confederation, says: "mental health services often come in for unfair criticism, especially in connection with high profile cases that hit the headlines, but the Healthcare Commission's survey shows that the vast majority of people who rely on these services are happy with the care they receive.

"It is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of staff who often work in extremely difficult circumstances that 77 per cent of the 26,500 mental health service users taking part in the survey say their care is excellent, very good or good.

"All too often mental health has been a Cinderella service in the NHS and yet one in four of us will experience mental health problems every year, so it's good news that service users are so positive about the care provided by mental health trusts and primary care trusts.

"Of course, there is always room for improvement and we welcome the Healthcare Commission's pledge to examine individual trusts' results in detail and use the information to share best practice and drive improvements in services."

However, the survey highlights the fact that 79 per cent of mental health service users taking part are not in paid employment and around half of respondents who wanted help to find work did not receive any.
Dr Gill Morgan says: "We agree that people with long-term mental health problems should be given better access to employment opportunities and more support to help them find work or access to supported employment opportunities which could be either voluntary or paid.

"There is no doubt that the NHS is in a pivotal position to help make this happen but we also believe that the NHS has a key role to play in reforming the incapacity benefit system which currently supports 2.6 million people, 40 per cent of whom have mental health problems.

"We will be publishing before the end of September a report with recommendations for how the system should be reformed, in advance of a Green Paper from the Department for Work and Pensions which is expected in October."

Ends

Notes for editors

The NHS Confederation represents more than 90 per cent of the organisations that make up the NHS throughout the UK. Its members include the majority of NHS trusts, foundation trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; NHS boards and special boards in Scotland; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Contact details

Contact Media Relations Manager Matt Akid on 020 7074 3306 or 07887 633344 or Media Officer Amy Darlington on 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309

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