Annual Review 2002

Joint Chairs: Lynne Jones MP · Virginia Bottomley MP · Sandra Gidley MP

Secretary: Lord Alderdice

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health completed another successful year in 2002. It has been an important year in the mental health field with the publication of the Draft Mental Health Bill in June and the subsequent wide-reaching consultation. The Group held a number of meetings on issues of concern to mental health service users and professionals. The main points that came out of each of the meetings are summarised below.

Review of the Year

November 2001
In November last year Judy Stenger from Neath Mind Association addressed the Group on barriers to benefits. She provides a surgery service for local people who suffer from mental health problems and are trying to claim benefits. Ms Steng er demonstrated to the Group how complicated the benefits system is and how this is exacerbated for people with mental illness. She said that some people were stigmatised by those working in the service and that the difficulties involved in navigating the system could have a detrimental effect on mental health in some cases.

January 2002
The National Clinical Director for Mental Health, Professor Louis Appleby addressed the meeting in January. He spoke about the Government’s progress in providing more mental health workers in primary care, ‘gateway staff’ and crisis resolution teams. Prof. Appleby did acknowledge that users and staff had been frustrated by the time taken for new money to reach the front-line and he reported that funds would become available later in the year. He gave the Group some details of the new National Institute for Mental Health for England, which he said would act as an important vehicle for research and service development. He also highlighted the problem of dual diagnosis, saying it was the main challenge in mental health at the time. He said that people could fall between mental health and addictions services and therefore not receive the package of care they needed.

March 2002
In March the meeting focused on the need for regulation of psychotherapists. Lord Alderdice, who is a consultant psychotherapist, spoke to the Group about the need for psychotherapy registration. He reported that public demand for regulation of healthcare professionals had heightened in recent years and that this had had a significant impact on bodies such as the GMC. Lord Alderdice said that though statutory requirements were urgently needed for psychotherapists, they were a difficult group to regulate because it is a not a unitary profession and many of them work outside the NHS. Stakeholder groups had met to discuss possible proposals but there was a need for a unified position before concrete advances could be made.

June 2002
Michael Christie, Chair of the North London & East Region Mental Health Review Tribunal addressed the Group on the work of the Tribunals. He said that the role of Mental Health Review Tribunals (MHRTs) is to review the detention of a person in hospital (or occasionally outside) with regard to their liberty and the safety of the public. Mr Christie reported that there was a backlog of cases and that more psychiatrists were needed to reduce these delays. He said that the Government was investigating changes to the system and he said that any reforms must be considered very seriously as MHRTs have a real effect on human rights and civil liberties.

July 2002
In July the Group was addressed by two speakers on the topic of the mental health needs of offenders. Dr John O’Grady, a Member of the Department of Health’s Mental Health in Prisons Expert Group, spoke about the nature of health care within the prison system. He said that there were many problems in responding to the mental health needs of prisoners, specifically the likelihood of violence and the high turnover in the prison population. Andy Smith, Inner London Forensic Mental Health Co-ordinator for MACA, then spoke about the need for a flexible, multi-agency approach to providing community based forensic mental health services. He said that offenders and ex-offenders often face problems finding the right package of care and that this can lead to their condition deteriorating. Mr Smith concluded that assertive out-reach services need to work harder to meet the needs of people who are often suspicious of authority and stigmatised by their condition.

October 2002
In October the Group hosted a reception with the Mental Health Alliance in Speaker’s House. The meeting was addressed by Dr Lynne Jones MP, Dr Tony Zigmond from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Cliff Prior representing the Mental Health Alliance and Emma Harding who spoke from the service user’s perspective. The event provided a useful platform for the exchange of ideas and opinions on the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act. The Alliance held a successful lobby of Parliament the following day.

Conclusions

1. Mental Health law must adapt to address current problems in the system and to provide greater support for people with mental illness. The All Party Group has heard a lot of evidence about the need for change and calls on the Government to work with the voluntary sector, users and professionals when developing legislation.
2. The All Party Group believes that a pro-active approach is needed by Government to tackle the barriers to benefits faced by people with mental illness. The Group looks forward to participating in a seminar with Government and other interested bodies to make progress in this area.
3. Mental health amongst prisoners and ex-offenders is an area which has been neglected in the past and it is hoped that any changes to Mental Health legislation address this. The needs of people in prison and those who have been released are wide-ranging and it is important that agencies work together to support them.
4. The Government's Mind Out for Mental Health campaign is an important initiative and is welcomed. The Group feels that the campaign should be given a higher profile.
5. Dual diagnosis is recognised by mental health groups and the National Director for Mental Health as a major issue needing research. People with severe mental illness who also misuse substances need more support to ensure they get the right help.
6. The All Party Group supports the wider use of talking treatments in addressing mental illness and calls on professionals to work together to offer users the most appropriate care.
7. The All Party Group is concerned that Mental Health Review Tribunals are not working effectively and that there are long delays. The Group would like to see Tribunals develop a more efficient way of working.

Programme for 2003

Details of future meetings will be sent to Members shortly. Meeting topics are likely to include: Dual diagnosis, Anti-stigma campaigns, Complementary Therapies, Mental Health Legislation, Progress of the National Service Framework, Ethnic minorities and mental health.

Seminar on Barriers to Benefits In November 2001 the Group held a meeting on barriers to benefits. The idea of holding a seminar for interested parties had already been raised and this was developed further following the meeting. The seminar is currently being worked on by the Department of Health who will be speaking to the Department for Work and Pensions early in December to take things forward. The seminar, which will hopefully take place in February, will also involve the Inland Revenue, mental health voluntary organisations and service users.