Unprecedented demand on mental health services in North Yorkshire
A new report is calling for improvements
A new report has found that people struggling with mental health conditions in North Yorkshire often feel like they are "passed between services".
Health watch worked with representative from across the North Yorkshire and York Mental Health Alliance, and people with lived experience of mental illness, their families and carers.
The research looked at the challenges people face in accessing support and what changes could improve their wellbeing. In addition to looking at service provision, it also looked at what affects people’s mental wellbeing and how and where people would like to receive support.
More longer term support required
Ashley Green, CEO of Healthwatch North Yorkshire from Healthwatch North Yorkshire says: “People lead more complex lives now and have multiple issues that might affect their mental health, from housing and finances to relationships and education. Our research found that people felt that they were passed between services and that this can cause more harm than good.
“People can end up on multiple waiting lists and having to repeat their story to several different people. This in turn can generate more stress and upset for people and further affect their mental wellbeing. It’s important that services work closely to address people’s needs and understand the wider support available and how to direct people.”
"In addition, people felt that more longer-term support was required for there to be any long-lasting benefit, along with more flexibility in when provision was available, information about what is available and improved support to access services - especially for those with no transport or who live in rural locations.
“If you properly support people with their mental health then everything else follows – people’s physical health is better and there is less of a strain on the NHS” commented one person.
“From what the public told us, what needs to change is earlier diagnosis and intervention, improving communications within services, better crisis support, and making sure staff feel supported and not stretched. Providers, support services and charities are doing their best, but we’d like to see more funding from the Government to help them."
David Kerr, Transformation Programme Lead with the North Yorkshire & York Mental Health Alliance, said: “We know that there are pressures on mental health services and that this is affecting the support people are receiving and the experiences people are having. To be sustainable and ensure people get the best possible care and support that is right for them, we must adapt and transform the way we work.
“The Community Mental Health Transformation Programme aims to do just this; it’s about listening to and working with local people and partners to understand the needs of local people and what really matters to them. That’s why we commissioned this piece of work, which will support us to continue to work locally with partners such as the local authority and colleagues in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to be more joined up in our approach and to consider alternative, community-based solutions that better meet people’s needs.”
What is being done to improve services?
Zoe Campbell, managing director for North Yorkshire and York at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s incredibly important that we listen and act upon people’s experiences. This will help us, along with our partners, to drive forward improvements and make sure that everyone receives timely care that meets their individual needs.
“There continues to be an unprecedented demand for mental health care throughout the country. We’re committed to providing a better experience for people in our care and there is a great deal of work underway to improve crisis services, as well as preventative care”.
You can read the full report here