Health Minister launches framework for mental health services

Health Minister Edwin Poots has launched his Department’s Service Framework for Mental Health and Wellbeing on World Mental Health Day.
~ Monday, 10 October 2011

The Framework sets standards for the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, care and rehabilitation of people who have a mental illness.

The Minister said: “Mental ill health can strike anybody, anywhere. It will affect most of us at some point in our lives either through ourselves, family, friends or work. That is why it is so important that we address this issue.

“The Service Framework for Mental Health and Wellbeing takes forward the values and principles of the Bamford Review. It sets out clearly the key standards in services that mental health patients and clients can expect and that service commissioners and providers must seek to deliver.

He continued: “This Framework has the potential to greatly improve the mental health and wellbeing of the people of Northern Ireland. It gives clarity to service users and the wider population about the standards to be expected as well as to those charged with commissioning and providing mental health services.”

Mr Poots was speaking as he addressed the ‘Releasing Time to Care’ regional conference on World Mental Health Day. The theme of World Mental Health Day this year is ‘investing in mental health’.

The Minister added: “We all need to look to see what we can do to improve the mental health and well being of our population. This includes individuals, organisations and government. With the limited resources we have available, we need to establish specifically targeted policies, plans and initiatives to promote and support mental health.

“We should be able to provide much more support, better services and treatment to those people suffering from mental disorders than they receive at present."

The ‘Realising Time to Care’ project has been developed by the Health and Social Care Board across all acute mental health hospital wards in Northern Ireland. It aims to improve the outcomes and experiences of patients using services in these facilities.

Recognising the importance of care in the community, the Minister concluded: “It has long been agreed that care in the community is a much better option for people than long periods of in-patient treatment. This is especially true for those with mental health problems.

“However, unfortunately for many people, hospital admission will be unavoidable. The challenge is to ensure that, as quality in community services is improving, quality in the hospital environment also improves. That is what Releasing Time to Care is all about, and I believe it will do much to improve the experience of people with mental health problems in hospital.”

The Service Framework for Mental Health and Wellbeing can be accessed online.

Notes to editors:

1. The Service Framework for Mental Health and Wellbeing is the fourth Service Framework produced by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, following on from those relating to cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and cancer.

2. Service frameworks aim to improve health and social care outcomes, reduce inequalities in health and social wellbeing, and improve service access and delivery. They set out the standards of care that patients, clients, carers and families can expect to receive and will be used by commissioners, HSC providers and RQIA. The standards and associated performance indicators aim to drive improvements in HSC performance over the next three years.

3. World Mental Health Day is on 10 October. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. The mission of the World Federation for Mental Health is to promote the advancement of mental health awareness, prevention of mental disorders, advocacy, and best practice recovery focused interventions worldwide.

4. The Health and Social Care Board has been developing the ‘Releasing Time to Care’ Project over the last two years across all 23 Acute Mental Health Wards in Northern Ireland. This programme focuses very much on systems and processes, based upon LEAN methodology, providing staff with more time to engage in therapeutic activities by ensuring they do not spend inordinate amounts of time in either paperwork or bureaucratic detail. The outcome of the programme is indeed more time to care and enhances the user experience.

5. Media enquiries should be directed to the DHSSPS press office on 028 9052 0571, or out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.