Report calls for range of improvements in community care for people with mental illnesses

Citation

(2001), "Report calls for range of improvements in community care for people with mental illnesses", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 14 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2001.06214gab.003

Report calls for range of improvements in community care for people with mental illnesses

Report calls for range of improvements in community care for people with mental illnesses

A report, "Community Care" (CR86, 2000) from the Council of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, calls for a number of improvements in the way community care is delivered to children, adolescents and adults of all ages who are suffering from mental illnesses. It reflects significant changes in the UK since the last report in 1995, both the increasingly critical stand taken by some politicians and interest groups, and the welcome emphasis on clinical governance and evidence-based practice in the recent National Service Framework (NSF, DoH, 1999).

The report emphasises that:

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  Access to qualified medical and social work assessment must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within each local service.

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  Comprehensive, safe community care cannot be adequately delivered without the local availability of four essential tertiary services – rehabilitation, forensic, substance misuse and psychotherapy.

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  Organisation of substance misuse services varies very widely. Local protocols must be in place to ensure appropriate allocation of clinical responsibility, depending on the relative severity of mental illness and substance misuse.

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  The degree of integration of psychotherapy and psychological treatments with local services also varies widely and must be improved.

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  "Place and train" approaches to work and employment for people with enduring mental illness are more likely to succeed than traditional "train and place" initiatives.

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  Co-location of social workers within Community Mental Health Teams is optimal, despite the need for separate managerial structures.

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  Close liaison is important with primary care teams, both to manage the interface and to help shape developments in Primary Care Groups, which will profoundly affect the shape of secondary care.

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  Homeless people present special problems and appropriate local provisions must be made. In urban areas this may include a specialised team. Special staff training and translation services are needed for ethnic minorities, and occasionally a dedicated team may be justified.

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  Appropriate local arrangements must be agreed for the care of children and adolescents with psychiatric problems, the children of adults with mental illnesses, older patients and those with learning disabilities.

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  Mental health professionals should listen to users and carers with respect and treat them as equals. Users and carers should be involved much more as teachers and advisers in the training of professionals and in planning, implementing and monitoring services.

For further information contact Professor Tom Burns. Tel: 020 8725 5542.