Caron asked me to write a series a little while ago about being a PPC – and my response at the time was that a day-in-the-life blog might put people off ever applying to be a PPC! Being a PPC is hard work – we are volunteers and unpaid, but expected to do a huge […]
Kirsten Johnson
Parliament debates Mental Health First Aid
The Backbench debate on incorporating Mental Health First Aid into First Aid At Work legislation is scheduled to take place this morning in Parliament. The Government statement on this is here, with a debate pack pdf link at the bottom entitled, “Mental health first aid in the workplace”. One of the reasons I entered politics, […]
Parliament debates Mental Health First Aid
The Backbench debate on incorporating Mental Health First Aid into First Aid At Work legislation is scheduled to take place this morning in Parliament. The Government statement on this is here, with a debate pack pdf link at the bottom entitled, “Mental health first aid in the workplace”. One of the reasons I entered politics, […]
Every day should be Mental Health Awareness Day
We all have mental health, as we all have physical health. That is established. I welcome World Mental Health Awareness Day – it is great that we can celebrate and work together on better mental health for all. However, we need to recognise that fighting for good mental health provision and raising awareness is a […]
My view on our conference motion to end discrimination in mental health care
The problem with conference is that it is impossible to get to everything! I was hoping to speak on Sunday morning in our debate on the policy motion entitled, “Ending Discrimination In Mental Health Provision”. Regular readers of LDV know that mental health policy is an area I feel strongly about, so I am gutted […]
Mental Health Awareness Week 2018
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme is this year is stress. Stress can pervade our lives, but one aspect is stress at work. Keeping a mentally-healthy workforce is best for everyone: the employees, the business and the customers. Being self-employed as a musician, workplace stress has a slightly different connotation. I’m preparing […]
The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Annual Report
The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Annual Report was published recently by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. In it are harrowing statistics of people with learning disabilities dying far too young. The report highlights the extraordinarily high incidences of preventable death. The Connor Sparrowhawk case has brought this to public attention recently: a young man with […]
Children’s mental health – the Government is not getting it right
I’m following up my post from February on children’s mental health and the Government’s Green Paper on the issue. Yesterday, the Education Committee and Health & Social Care Committee issued a joint statement saying that The Government’s proposed Green Paper on Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health lacks ambition and will provide no help to […]
New report out shows more paediatric consultants needed
As a mother of three, we have been to A & E more times than I would have liked and have had help from paediatricians and other consultants. The NHS is wonderful! But sorely understaffed. A report out today by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, “Facing the Future Audit 2017”, has recommended […]
The dire state of mental health services
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s recent report on mental health provision is damning. Titled Maintaining momentum: driving improvements in mental health care, Rob Behrens’ analysis confirms what we already know: mental health services are in crisis and people are suffering and dying because of it. The case studies are harrowing. Mr Behrens’ says: The […]