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A leading clinical psychologist told the Mind annual conference that there is about “10,000 miles to go” in improving mental health services, writes Sally Gillen from the conference in Harrogate.

Rachel Perkins said some progress had been made, but a lot of work was still needed to implement the National Service Framework.  
 
Five years into the NSF, Perkins said she was concerned that much of the change had been structural.
 
Under the NSF, new teams such as assertive outreach have been set up, which have seen provision move from the statutory to the voluntary sector.

 
“What I’m really worried about is the fact we have not grasped the nettle in terms of cultural change”, said Perkins.  She went on to tell delegates that mental health issues should be moved from those involved in “do-gooding” such as social workers.
 
She said it should be taken from the Department of Health and placed in the Department for Work and Pensions so issues such as employment could be dealt with.
 
Later, Mind’s chief executive Richard Brook said Scotland was spending six times more money on promoting mental health, despite having a 10 times smaller population than England.
 
“That is a pretty bleak picture”, he said.