Mental health care in this country needs radical transformation. Both adult and children’s mental health services continue to be plagued by long waiting times, lack of access to treatment and chronic staff shortages. For children, the average wait between their first symptoms developing and being able to access treatment is estimated to be a horrifying […]
Op-eds
Using colourful Pom-poms to remember Holly #TimetoTalk
Having five brothers and one sister means that I am lucky to have lots of glorious nieces and nephews, and, nowadays, great nieces and great nephews. I am a bit like “Great Uncle Bulgaria” in the Wombles. But last July, we lost one of my nieces, Holly (pictured, right). Never mind me being her uncle, […]
Today is Young Carers Awareness Day
How many of you know a young carer? Today we are celebrating the contributions many of our young people make as carers. It is Young Carers Awareness Day. Caring can take many forms – a sibling caring for another sibling with a learning disability, a child looking after a parent, a young person helping aid […]
Being a PPC: what’s your motivation?
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 […]
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, […]
Not thin enough for treatment – Wera Hobhouse highlights stigma around eating disorders
In a parliamentary debate on Tuesday, Wera Hobhouse outlined how sufferers of eating disorders are being failed by health and support services. Lack of training can mean that doctors make things worse. She told the story of a young woman in her constituency who suffered for three years and never received the help that she […]
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 […]
World Mental Health Day
It is World Mental Health Day. It is a time to celebrate how far we have come in the UK when it comes to talking about mental health. It is also the time to recognise the ongoing crisis and redouble our efforts. We have all seen the headlines – 1 in 4 of us will […]
A Basis for a National Health and Well-Being Policy?
The Frome Model of Enhanced Care is a GP focussed, community serving and using way of creating, assessing and delivering comprehensive health and well-being skills, services and attitudes, in, with and for a community, at a low to negative net cost. Its administration is remarkably inclusive, heterarchical or flat. It is so attractive that it […]