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Original poster

Tories and mental health - if they get in will it be a disaster?

26 replies

JaceyBee · 22/04/2010 14:20

I work in mental health and like many people am concerned about what will happen to our service if the conservatives get in next month.

Historically I believe mental health has not been a priority for the tories, maybe this has changed now, I know they intend to monitor the mental health of ex-servicemen and women more carefully which has got to be a good thing I suppose.

However it was Labour who brought in the Increased Access to Psychological Therapies in order to shorten waiting lists for counselling/therapy in primary care and relieve burden on GP's for common mental health problems.

I just can't see myself ever voting tory, would they be disastrous for people who work in mental health, and more importantly our patients? What do others think???

OP posts:
Brollyflower · 22/04/2010 14:33

Any Govt that puts huge pressure on the NHS to make 'efficiency savings' and devolves control without central targets or aims or things central Govt is keeping their eye on will, in my view, lead to local cuts to real services and mental health is one easy target. It always has been.

silentcatastrophe · 22/04/2010 19:27

I've already read somewhere that mental health services will be amongst the first cuts. It was in the paper earlier this week. Where we live, they only offer really car-crash mental health services. It's been the same for decades, so clearly not one party or the other.

Disenchanted3 · 22/04/2010 19:30

Cuts in mental health services? My Lord theres bugger all there as it is! I had to wait 6 weeks for an assesment, it was cancelled, been waiting 4 weeks now for another, and my GP was 'very concerned' about my MH state. yes, seems like it!

ElenorRigby · 22/04/2010 19:35

Get REAL, we were told MONTHS BACK, services would be cut across the board by 15% after the election.

onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 19:35

Jacey I share your concerns re the Tories and their priority re mental health.

However, in my area IAPT is crap not much good. (I am a mental health nurse in a crisis team) IAPT staff cannot cope with a hint of risk, and the waiting lists are already long.

tiredemma · 22/04/2010 19:38

Im a MH nurse. Concerned if the tories do get in (ill probably be expected to do the job of like, 4 nurses on my ward or something ridiculous like that)

onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 19:41

The team I work in was set up about 10 years ago as a direct result of Labour policy (that's my understanding anyway).

I do think there will be major cutbacks to all public services under the Tories. Mental health would be one of the first casualties imo, despite what they say re mental health.

missmoopy · 22/04/2010 19:51

I work in a community drug team with heroin users. We'll all be screwed too if Tories get in. VOTE LABOUR!

lincstash · 22/04/2010 20:21

And the number of innocent passers-by killed or injured by nutters this was............how many missmoopy? Care in the Community, gotta laugh at the irony.

onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 20:28

lincstash I am sorry but I don't fully understand your post.

Most people with mental health problems are more at risk to themselves than others. (despite what certain newspapers and other elements of the media try to tell you)

"Care in the Community" was introduced by Mrs Thatcher and her government, but sadly she/they opted not to put in adequate community services to deal with the fall out. It wasn't until the late 1990s that the Labour government put significant amounts of money into mental health services. Hence the introduction of crisis teams, home treatment teams, early intervention services etc etc.

A massive improvement imo.

tiredemma · 22/04/2010 20:36

I dont understand your post either Lincstash (but words like 'nutter' make my bloody teeth itch)

Mental health services under Labour and since the NSF for Mental Health (1999) have completely changed (for the better).

Thatcher set the 'blueprint' for Care in the community, but only after much criticsm about 'aftercare' for service users.

The Tories were the Govt who closed down the asylums- not because they were all for letting those with MI lead fairly normal lives, but mainly because they saw with their greedy eyes how much they could get for selling the land that the hospitals were on.

I dont trust the tories with mental health care

onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 20:40

Just to add Lincstash it is the "NHS and Community Care Act, 1990"

You can blame Labour and Tony Blair for many things, but this was seven years before he took over, so probably not fair to blame him for that.

Original poster
JaceyBee · 22/04/2010 20:43

Absolutely onepiece, unfortunately Thatcher did not 'care' and they were not so much reintegrated into the 'community' as pumped full of drugs and turfed onto the streets - literally.

Emma you are spot on with your last comment.

I tend to agree with your comments re IAPT. We do end up haing to refer to the crisis team much more than is reasonable I'm sure.

lincstash - the answer to your question is....hardly any compared to the amount of people killed/injured by people who don't have a severe and enduring mental health problem. And yes, using the work 'nutter' in this context is totally not on.

OP posts:
onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 20:46

Yes, I agree with you Jacey

The trouble with Care in the Community was that the focus was on putting people into the Community but the "Care" bit was kind of forgotten. (a very simplified explanation but you get my drift I am sure)

expatinscotland · 22/04/2010 20:48

I'm sure the Tory attitude that all who find themselves in less than opportune circumstances are there due to personal failings and faults will prevail when it comes to cuts to the mental health as well as every other service targetted at the vulnerable in society.

onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 20:54

I heard one of the tories on the radio this morning (the one that was visiting the Midlands and Warwickshire today)

tbh I didn't find their comments about mental health screening for service personnel returning from active service particularly well researched. Generally it is difficult to clarify if someone has ptsd until many months after an event. (after witnessing a traumatic event/going through trauma there is a natural process of dealing with it mentally and psychologically. Not everyone develops ptsd, and it is not true ptsd if it is diagnosed immediately after an event)

Superficially it sounds great, but in reality it's not much use imo.

Original poster
JaceyBee · 22/04/2010 20:55

That's my feeling too expat.

Disenchanted I'm sorry you've had such a shitty experience, I believe it's the same in many areas. Our primary care service is good but it's still a 'postcode lottery'.

Just heard today that we're not getting our IAPT funding from the DoH for next year so looks like that's on the way out too.

OP posts:
tiredemma · 22/04/2010 20:56

lincstash
'dangerousness factsheet'

this factsheet explained in 'laymans' terms will explain the whole 'Scare in the community' issue

ButterPie · 22/04/2010 20:57

It is attitudes like that that make me think twice before telling people that I had mental health problems.

I am a personal example of how great the early intervention teams are. I dread to think what would have happened without them. I would be either in a drugged fog, running about being a "nutter" or locked up (or dead). Either way, I wouldn't be here, healthy, drugless, and combining looking after my two well adjusted children with starting to work again.

onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 20:59

ButterPie your story is inspiring. Lovely to hear how the eit supported you.

Lots of us on here work in mental health and are encouraged to hear of the positive difference some of us make.

Best wishes to you xx

Original poster
JaceyBee · 22/04/2010 21:06

That's great to hear ButterPie - am glad the system really works for some people. Don't ever feel ashamed because of a few small minded people.x

You're right about the ptsd thing. It is actually quite complex to diagnose too because of the fine line between a pathology and an acute but typical stress reaction.

OP posts:
onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 21:10

Jacey shame you weren't around to agree with me when I was shouting at the radio earlier.

So far today I listened to the Tory person waffling on the radio, then returned home to BNP (now in the bin) and Lib Dem fliers.

Anyone know the Lib Dem position on mental health?

ButterPie · 22/04/2010 21:10

Oh aye, they really helped me. They are really flexible as well. When I was really ill, they were round a few times a week, now they come maybe once a month as I am pretty much better. They actually gave me the information and let me have a say in my own treatment, got me CBT, got me the right drugs (and arranged for me to only be able to get small amounts of them when it was appropriate), stood up for me in various crisis situations, made sure everything was ok with DD1, came round to see me straight away when I found I was pregnant with DD2 and supported me there, and through it all made me feel like a real person, not just a diagnosis.

I think the most useful thing the eit did was just getting to know me. I had one person (I moved recently so have a new person) who sorted me out, she came round, sometimes just for a brew and a chat, so she was able to tell when I was getting ill and advocate for me.

But, yeah, the eit are an amazing thing.

Original poster
JaceyBee · 22/04/2010 21:15

Not to mention Ken Clarke giving nurses a paycut 3 years in a row (inflation +3% and payrises 1%), which apparently he says he's looking forward to doing again!

No, haven't heard anything from Cleggy yet. Which probably doesn't bode well. I do like a lot of what he's said so far but have never really considered voting for anyone other than labour.

OP posts:
onepieceoflollipop · 22/04/2010 21:18

But Jacey we do this job out of the goodness of our hearts, it's a vocation, why would you worry about a paycut?

Oh, I see, you need to feed your own dcs and pay the bills.