Healthcare Commission Needs To Raise The Bar For Mental Health Service Users, UK

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;  Depression;  Bipolar
Article Date: 16 Oct 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Commenting on the Annual Health check, Lisa Rodrigues, Chair of the Mental Health Network of the NHS Confederation, and Chief Executive of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said:

"This is the second year running that NHS mental health trusts have been rated as one of the best performing parts of the NHS, the strong performance in the areas of quality and the effective management of resources is particularly pleasing.

"As a mental health trust chief executive myself, I know how hard our staff have worked not only to offer excellent services, but also to provide the evidence for doing so.

"Members of the network will continue to work with the Health commission and its successor the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to develop indicators which more effectively measure outcomes for service users."

"Mental health services are coming increasingly under the public spotlight, and we welcome more scrutiny. We are not complacent, and we know that improvements must continue. The public should be reassured that mental health services are getting better year on year. There is no health without mental health."

The Mental Health Network represents the majority of mental health trusts. It was launched in spring 2007 to provide a distinct voice for providers of NHS mental health services.

The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

More information on Lisa Rodrigues. -- About the Mental Health Network

NHS Confederation
www.nhsconfed.org