New Care Programme Approach Guidance Published, UK

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 26 Mar 2008 - 3:00 PST

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A comment from mental health charity Rethink in response to the new Care Programme Approach implementation guidance (http://www.nimhe.csip.org.uk/cpa):

Jane Harris, head of campaigns, said:

"It is good to see an attempt to address the enormous variation in the way CPA is implemented but we have concerns. Under the new system only those with more complex needs will receive CPA. Those who currently receive the lower level "standard" CPA will no longer be eligible.

"Our worry is that without such a formal care programme in place, people with less complex conditions might miss out on the services they need as the guidance will be down to local mental health trusts to interpret. While this group of people should still get a care programme of sorts, if this is only in the form of a letter from a clinician or GP it might not amount to very much. There is also the question of what happens to people with fluctuating conditions who may recover for a few years before becoming ill again. Will they stay on CPA even while they are well?

"We know that where CPA is implemented properly it works well but we also know that it is sometime the case that the people who need it the most don't get it. It is paramount that under the new system all those who need services get them, whether they are on CPA or otherwise."

Case Study: We are in contact with a woman who is on standard CPA who didn't know the system was being changed and that she might lose her entitlement. She says:

"CPA is a good opportunity to discuss treatment, medication, self management etc. I have just had one and wrote my own care plan which was good and made me feel as though I was the one in control of my own illness."

http://www.rethink.org/