Progress is slow for acute mental health care services, despite national guidelines
Little progress has been made on the state of UK hospital care for people with psychiatric illness, despite 650 national strategies, guidelines, frameworks and protocols issued by the Government over the past five years.
This is the conclusion of a report published last week by three national
mental health charities — Rethink, SANE and The Zito Trust.
The report considers patients’ experiences when admitted to hospital
and finds services lacking. In particular, the charities say that first-line
prescribing of newer atypical antipsychotics remains patchy.
The report also highlights some positive changes to the experiences of
patients with mental health problems. Formulation developments in atypical
antipsychotic drug treatments are a step forward. Mike Isaac, consultant
psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, commented: “Newly
admitted patients requiring rapid tranquillisation can be spared the
notorious side effects associated with conventional drugs. The most significant
implication of this is that a patient’s first encounter with antipsychotic
medication can act as a blueprint for their future attitude towards therapy.”
Copies of the report, “Behind closed doors”, which was supported
by Eli Lilly & Company, can be obtained from Rethink (tel 0845 4560455
or e-mail info@rethink.org).
National Depression Week 2004 will run from 19 to 25 April. |
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