Future of mental health services

Created: 2009-06-15 12:04:50

Comment from Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, on the prospects for mental health service provision:

"SANE is not shocked by the costs to the UK economy of mental illnesses such as depression. We remain deeply concerned about the many people suffering from enduring conditions who are often left in the community without the consistent care and treatment they may need.

"Although things have improved in the last 12 years since mental health was made a priority, there has been continued loss of psychiatric beds for inpatient care, the closure of day centres and impoverishment of occupational therapies.

"While the Government is planning to increase the availability of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for those with mild to moderate depression, we are aware from the many thousands of people who contact SANE that there will continue to be many with complex diagnoses who may not be included in such programmes, and who continue to struggle without the necessary psychological support."

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