As part of the Fabian Health Policy Group’s project, Fabian Perspectives on Mental Health, we hear from Professor Wendy Burn — President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists — about how to secure the future mental health workforce.
We are on the brink of a memorable new phase in our nation’s history. The beginning of a new ten year strategy for the NHS, of course.
We have been waiting with bated breath to find out what the settlement will be for Mental Health. …
Nearly a decade of Conservative-led government has precipitated a mental health crisis that has hit our young people hardest. Only Labour is equipped and ready to rescue this abandoned generation, writes Tom Gardiner
It is difficult to overstate the importance of young people’s mental health. 1 in 5 young adults has a diagnosable mental health condition, and 50% of mental health problems in adulthood are established by age 14, rising to 75% by age 24. Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 19, and at least 1 in 12 young people have self-harmed. And…
This year, celebrations have been taking place around the country to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service. Much has changed since the birth of the NHS, including the nature of disease, the costs of care and increased life expectancy. The NHS needs an agile, highly-skilled workforce that can foster a patient-led, integrated health and social care system. But right now, the NHS workforce is in crisis — with major deficits in staff numbers and staff time.
The rise in demand and its effect on performance
The UK population is projected to increase by 5.5% over the next…
The average waiting time to see your local GP is around three weeks — and this is about to become worse. A Pulse Magazine survey recently revealed that one in five GPs are planning to leave the National Health Service within five years. This will have a devastating effect on primary care and the wider NHS. This news worsens, as the survey revealed that many of the GPs who were planning on staying planned on working part time.
GPs on average see patients for around 10 minutes an appointment. 10 minutes sounds like very little time to gather a history…
A tidal wave of chronic illness threatens our prosperity and the sustainability of the NHS. Real action on physical and mental wellbeing must be central to Labour’s policy priorities in office, writes Stephen Bradley.
On paper, ‘parity of esteem’ between physical and mental health has been legally established for more than five years. But that obligation has remained a distant aspiration and the NHS crisis has only accelerated the familiar sacrifice of mental health budgets in favour of acute care. ‘Asking for help’ we are frequently hear, is the first step in addressing mental ill health. …
As part of the Fabian Health Policy Group’s new project, Fabian Perspectives on Mental Health, Kevan Jones MP argues that mental health policy needs to be at the heart of all government decision making.
In recent years we have made great strides in the UK, not only tackling the stigma around mental illness but have also seen the issue of mental health rise to the top of the political agenda. In June 2012, Charles Walker MP and I both spoke in parliament about our personal experiences of mental illness, something which at the time was seen as groundbreaking. I am…
Securing the long-term future of our health service will require significant investment, writes Stephen Bradley.
Jeremy Hunt’s NHS has two seasons. ‘Crisis’ is a gloomy eight months of declining standards, missed targets and chronic understaffing. Then there’s ‘Winter crisis’: the annual nightmare of system meltdown when the deterioration in conditions and safety becomes spectacular enough to make the news. When this year’s catastrophe fulfilled all predictions, Hunt’s hollow apology perfectly matched the tone of his entire health policy. Hunt’s uncanny survival in the job is surely due to his brazen ability to say a lot of the right things —…
As part of the Fabian Health Policy Group’s new project, Fabian Perspectives on Mental Health, Lambeth Council’s Jim Dickson writes about innovative local approaches to delivering mental health services at a time of austerity
On the face of it this may seem a strange time to launch fresh local strategies to tackle mental health. 57 per cent of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) say they are planning to spend less of their total funding on mental health during this year. And despite government lip service to parity of esteem, the proportion of local spend on mental health remains stubbornly at or…
To mark the launch of the Fabian Health Policy Group’s new project, Fabian Perspectives on Mental Health, Andy Burnham outlines his plans to improve service provision in Greater Manchester.
As mayor of Greater Manchester I pledged to prioritise mental health and ensure it is treated as seriously as physical health, and I remain committed to that.
The consequences of poor mental health are a growing problem for Greater Manchester. There are nearly 4,000 people in Greater Manchester in contact with mental health services for every 100,000 of the population compared to 2,176 nationally. …
If we want a world-class health service, we need to pay for it. Labour must make that case. The plight of the NHS consistently ranks high on the list of voters’ concerns — and in media column inches. But from inside…
The plight of the NHS consistently ranks high on the list of voters’ concerns — and in media column inches. But from inside the health service, both the media’s interpretations of the problems the health service faces and the remedies offered by politicians often seem ill-conceived.
The word ‘crisis’ has become a cliché, but, in the NHS, it is…
Fabian Health Policy Group
The Fabian Health Policy Group - a group of @thefabians members discussing and developing policy on health and social care
