Mental health NSF targets may not be met, Mind warns

The targets set out in the mental health national service
framework will not be met within the 10 years laid out in the plan,
unless there is a major acceleration in work, according to mental
health charity Mind, writes Paul
Stephenson.

The charity has compiled a progress report at the halfway stage
of the 10 year NSF, which was published in 1999. Although it says
some improvements have been made, it says progress was
unsatisfactory on six of the seven standards.

On mental health promotion, it calls for large-scale efforts
“to combat stigma and discrimination relating to mental
health” in the media, in employment and health services.

The report also calls for clearer guidelines on the
“meaning and implementation of the 48 hour targets” for
seeing a GP, so that service users can make non-urgent appointments
to see a named GP in advance. It says GPs should be given training
in how to relate to people with mental distress in surgery
appointments, and that funding should be available for treatment
other than drug based options.

The report also calls for crisis services and more community
based services such as drop-ins to be available to all those
needing them, and not just those with the most severe
conditions.