Mental health services in crisis?

[OrangeFlower7]

I heard about this on the news today. Apparently there have been many more people using crisis services over the past year possibly to do with economic reasons (they said) and the services across the UK are 'in crisis'.

I had great support from our local Intensive service over the last year who helped me at home, sending psychiatrists and CPNs often very promptly, and were responsive to me, asking me how often I wanted them to come for example and discussing the treatment with me. maybe I've just been lucky, I just wondered about others experiences across the country.

I think the NHS in general is "in crisis" and there has been a lot of comment in the media about the crisis that A & E are experiencing, but yes I'm sure mental health will also be in crisis. It certainly IS to do with economic reasons as far as I'm concerned and I place the blame firmly at the door of this Tory/LibDem coalition. They are hell bent on privatising the NHS, in other words selling parts of it off to any "willing provider" which means big multi-national and international companies taking over parts of the service - the govt will throw billions of tax payer's money at them and the big companies will get richer and so will the shareholders.............as for the patients, well they are at the bottom of the pile, so to speak. Also these companies won't be interested in "difficult" areas like mental health, so that service will be left to the ailing NHS to cope with, and their budgets have been slashed, so they won't be in a position to offer a "good enough" service.

Having said all that (sorry once I get on a political rant I find it hard to stop) I think mental health services will differ dependent on the area in which you live. I think the inner cities will struggle to provide a good service. I live in the West Midlands and our local A & E has made the headlines for being in a crisis situation.

I have had a good service in both primary and secondary care for my mental illness, with a CPN and psychiatrist, though was an inpatient in 2010 which "elevated" me into secondary care. Just re-read your post and you mention that you heard that "more people will be using the service" YES and that too is political, because thousands upon thousands of people have lost their jobs and homes since the coalition came to power. Thousands of ill and disabled people have been deemed "fit to work" by the private company that assesses people for the Dept of Work & Pensions. Small wonder that more people are becoming depressed and anxious and so in need of mental health services.