Press release: Mental Health Network responds to Healthcare Commssion's count me in census

06 Dec 2007

Commenting on the Healthcare Commission's census, Steve Shrubb, the director of the NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network which represents the majority of mental health trusts, said:

"Tackling the over-representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups among inpatients in mental health wards is perhaps the biggest challenge facing providers. Addressing this is one of the network's key tasks and mental health trusts take this very seriously.

"We accept that, in trying to provide support to groups that are often very hard to reach, the solution lies with collecting more accurate and meaningful information which can then be used to set up appropriate services.

"Getting this right however requires the input of all agencies - from GPs to the courts - so that we can deliver what we know is the best practice of identifying problems early and then providing the most appropriate support."

Notes for editors

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.

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

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.

Back to media centre