Press release: Mental Health Network responds to Prison Inspectors report

24 Oct 2007

Commenting on the report, Steve Shrubb, the director of the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network, said:

"This report is welcome and much needed. It is clear that since mental health service providers started working with the prison service and prisoners, great strides have been made in the treatment of mental illness.  Not only that but all prison staff are now much more aware of the issues involved in dealing with mental illness.

"Having made this progress we also realise that more needs to be done. Mental illness must be identified as soon as possible in order for it to be treated effectively and without recourse to more distressing and more expensive once things reach crisis point.

"The answer to this can not be simply the commissioning of more services. As the report itself suggests the key is to involve the whole range of available services and agencies - from commissioners right down to the families of prisoners - working together.

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. The Mental Health Network represents the majority of mental health trusts. It was launched in spring 2007 to provide a distinct voice for providers of NHS mental health services. 
2. The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Contact details

3. Contact Media Relations Officer Niall Smith on 020 7074 3304 or 077 6777 0309. For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.

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