Users of mental health services have praised the care they get from NHS doctors, nurses and other specialist staff, including psychologists and social workers, in a major national survey published recently. However, the mental health patient survey, published by the Healthcare Commission, also highlights a number of areas where care could be improved, including better emergency support and better information on the side effects of medication.
Survey reveals mental healthcare gaps
The survey of 26,500 users of outpatient and community mental health services, found that 77% rated their overall care as excellent, very good or good. Less than one in ten rated their care as poor or very poor.
Most respondents (90%) have trust and confidence in their psychiatrist and an even greater percentage (93%) trust their community psychiatric nurse. However, the need for better access to crisis care was also highlighted by the survey, with 52% saying that they did not have the phone number of someone from local mental health services to contact in an emergency, despite guidelines in the National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health saying that they should.
The survey also found that only 40% had been given access to “talking therapies” such as counselling or psychotherapy in the last 12 months. This is despite strong evidence that a combination of drugs and psychological treatments can provide real benefits to people with mental health problems.
