media alert: Charity backs damning Healthcare watch dog report on mental healthcare

Mental health charity Rethink today backed the claims of the Health Care Commission that mental health services are still lagging behind the rest of the NHS.

Paul Corry, Director of Public Affairs, said: “Hundreds of thousands of people with schizophrenia still aren’t getting treatments like psychological therapies, even though the Government’s own watchdog has said they work and are value for money. Millions of people with schizophrenia and families will be delighted that the Healthcare Commission is pressing health trusts to do more to help people recover. At the moment, people with schizophrenia are getting the worst deal whilst arguably needing the most help.”

The commission has identified key areas that MUST be improved:

• More than half of People with schizophrenia are still NOT being offered Nice recommended Psychological therapies
• Less than a third of people with schizophrenia are given a choice about which anti-psychotic drug they are treated with, NICE guidelines specify this choice must be given
• People with mental health problems are more likely to have poor physical health, dying, on average, 10 years earlier than the rest of the population.  The numbers of people with schizophrenia being offered the NICE recommended annual health check, has only improved by just over 1%.

 Rethink, mental health charity has on-going campaigns to tackle all these areas.

-ENDS-

 CASE STUDIES AVAILABLE

For more information or to organise an interview with Paul Corry or a Rethink member with schizophrenia, please contact Vicky Trimiklinioits, Acting Senior Media Officer, tel: 020 7840 3146, e-mail: vicky.trimikliniotis@rethink.org