scholarly journals Service innovation: policing mental health – the St Andrew's scheme

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-98
Author(s):  
Alison Mann ◽  
Philip Sugarman ◽  
Carol Rooney ◽  
Mary Goodman ◽  
Jim Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Zero Tolerance ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Tolerance Zone ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Service Department

Assaults against healthcare staff have gained increasing attention, prompting the Zero Tolerance Zone campaign in the National Health Service (NHS) (Department of Health, 1999). This advised that treatment could be withheld as a sanction, although not from ‘anyone who is mentally ill or under the influence of drugs'. More recently the NHS Security Management Service (Department of Health, 2005) found that the greatest number of assaults (over 43 000) were found in mental health and learning disability environments.

scholarly journals Zero tolerance of violence by users of mental health services: The need for an ethical framework

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Behr ◽  
J. P. Ruddock ◽  
P. Benn ◽  
M. J. Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Zero Tolerance ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Zero Tolerance Policy

SummaryConcerns about violent conduct of service users towards healthcare staff have prompted a ‘zero tolerance’ policy within the National Health Service. This policy specifically excludes users of mental health services. We attempt to challenge artificial distinctions between users of mental health and other services, and propose an ethical underpinning to the implementation of this policy.

scholarly journals Medical Records: Copying letters to patients

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Psychiatric Illness ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Pilot Projects ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Pilot Work ◽  
Recent Government

Access to medical information is going to be extended by recent Government proposals that patients who agree are sent copies of correspondence relevant to their illness and medical treatment. The National Health Service (NHS) Plan for England (Department of Health, 2000) has stated unequivocally that letters between clinicians about an individual patient's care will be copied to the patient as of right. No exceptions have been made and the plan did not suggest that patients suffering from a psychiatric illness are to be treated differently from any other group of patients. However, the Department of Health has recently stated its intention to fund a series of pilot projects to test some key concepts before the policy is fully implemented in 2004. A number of areas to be informed by pilot work have been identified. These include the style and content of letters, testing formats and language that patients find acceptable and particular issues concerning mental health, children and carers (www.doh.gov.uk/patientletters).

scholarly journals Specialist personality disorder services in England: a case for managed clinical networks?

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 365-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kingsley Norton ◽  
Julian Lousada ◽  
Kevin Healy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
National Health ◽  
Clinical Networks ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Specialist Services

Following the publication by the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) of Personality Disorder: No Longer A Diagnosis of Exclusion (National Institute for Mental Health in England, 2003), it is perhaps surprising that so soon after there have been threats to the survival of some of the small number of existing specialist personality disorder services to which it refers. Indeed, one of the few in-patient units specialising in such disorders (Webb House in Crewe) closed in July 2004. Such closures or threats argue for closer collaboration in planning between the relevant secondary and tertiary services and also between the Department of Health, the NIMHE and local National Health Service commissioners. Not safeguarding existing tertiary specialist services, at a time of increasing awareness of the needs of patients with personality disorders, may be short-sighted.

Psychiatric In-Patients and Out-Patients: A Reply to Mezey and Evans

1972 ◽  
Vol 120 (557) ◽  
pp. 433-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Morgan ◽  
R. M. Compton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
National Health ◽  
Recent Article ◽  
Psychiatric Services ◽  
Outpatient Services ◽  
Department Of Health

Department of Health and Social Security statistics show a steady rise in the use of outpatient services from the inception of the National Health Service; since the Mental Health Act of 1959, the numbers of new outpatient and clinic attendances have increased by one-third and one-fifth respectively (D.H.S.S., 1971). However, as our knowledge of the actual functions of out-patient services and their relationship to in-patient care is at best only rudimentary, the recent article by Mezey and Evans (Journal, June 1971, 118, p. 609) is a much needed contribution towards evaluating these different facilities of the psychiatric services.

Moving from Student to New Practitioner: The Transitional Experience

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 231-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Morley
Keyword(s):  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
First Year ◽  
Clinical Supervisors ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Transitional Experience ◽  
Service Department

Preceptorship is now a requirement for all newly qualified occupational therapists joining the National Health Service (Department of Health 2005). This is intended to ameliorate the difficulties experienced by new practitioners when moving from the role of student into clinical work. A number of studies confirm the importance of providing both support and challenge in the first year of practice. This opinion piece presents the case for the introduction of preceptorship, building on the expertise of clinical supervisors. This role of preceptor could improve the transitional experience of new practitioners and support the development of their skills and their confidence.

scholarly journals Invited commentary on The mental health of prisoners

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-201
Author(s):  
Tony Maden
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
The Government

Psychiatrists have always been concerned about the mental health of prisoners. If they did not devote much energy to their treatment, it was only because they had more-pressing problems, including how to squeeze ten patients into nine beds. In any case, it was someone else's job to look after prisoners. Luke Birmingham's article (Birmingham, 2003, this issue) could not be more timely, as this situation has now changed. With the publication of The Future Organisation of Prison Healthcare (Prison Service & NHS Executive Working Group, 1999), and the creation of a joint Department of Health and Home Office task force, the Government has made it clear that the problem of mentally disordered offenders belongs to the National Health Service (NHS). There is a plan, there is a partnership and there are targets. Can those of us who have been worrying about prisoners with mental illness sit back and relax, as the solution unfolds?

scholarly journals Clinical governance in mental health services

1999 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 711-714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Clinical Governance ◽  
The Third ◽  
Department Of Health

This is one of three articles describing how one National Health Service (NHS) trust is tackling clinical governance. The first is by the trust chief executive, the ‘accountable officer’ in the White Paper The New NHS (Department of Health, 1997). The second is by the trust's director of research and development whose responsibilities include assisting clinical directorates to carry out an annual programme of improvements in clinical effectiveness. The third paper is by the mental health lead clinician’ for clinical governance.

The extent of mental and physical ill-health of clients referred to social workers in a local authority department and a general attachment scheme

1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roslyn H. Corney
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Department Of Health

SynopsisInformation regarding the physical and mental health of clients referred to social workers in a local authority intake team and to a general practice attachment scheme was collected over a 3-month period. Although returns to the Department of Health and Social Security during this period indicated that a very low proportion of clients were physically or mentally ill, it is clear that these figures greatly underestimate the extent of illness present. While social workers operating outside hospital and general practice attachments have been shown to have little contact with medical staff, in this study high proportions of their clients were ill and their social problems were often associated with their illness.

scholarly journals Consultant Norms in General Psychiatry

1985 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 233-233
Author(s):  
Peter Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
General Psychiatry ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Local Initiatives ◽  
Drug Problems

The College's Manpower Committee, chaired by Dr Fiona Caldicott, has recently debated the case for setting new norms for general psychiatrists to meet increased clinical demand caused by changing expectations of community care, the new Mental Health Act and the rising numbers of elderly mentally ill and patients with alcohol and drug problems. One view was that such an exercise would be a waste of time, owing to uncertainties about the implementation of 'Short’ and also because many districts have not yet reached the norm of one (whole-time equivalent) consultant to 40,000 population agreed with the Department of Health in 1975. It was agreed that the Manpower Committee should first of all try to help consultants in undermanned districts to overcome obstacles frustrating local initiatives to increase the establishment of general psychiatrists. Letters should be addressed to Dr Caldicott at the College address.

scholarly journals Crisis cards and self-help crisis initiatives

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Sutherby ◽  
George Szmukler
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Community Supervision ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
House Of Commons ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Self Help ◽  
State Of Mind

The concept of a ‘crisis card’ originated in the voluntary sector as an advocacy tool for use in mental health emergencies. This type of self-help initiative, and variations which include advance planning for mental health crises, are becoming more common, and have received Government and media attention (Brindle, 1993). The Health Committee's Fifth Report to the House of Commons (1993) on ‘Community Supervision Orders' included evidence given by Survivors Speak Out on the use of crisis cards or treatment contracts as an optional alternative to community supervision orders. Survivors Speak Out described how a user, “when in a rational state of mind, can set out in writing (on a crisis card) how they would like to be treated in circumstances when they are not the best judge of their own interests”. The Government's response was to encourage the informal use of crisis cards and the development of best practice and guidance on their use bearing in mind the central role of the user (Department of Health, 1993). They also recommended that ways of amending the law to provide for crisis cards to be legally effective should be examined. The Report of the Inquiry into the Care and Treatment of Christopher Clunis recommended that the Royal College of Psychiatrists should design a card for mentally ill people. This appeared to be a response to the identified need for improved provision of information, communication and liaison across geographical boundaries where necessary (Ritchie et al, 1994).

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