Audit Commission: efficiency briefings

In the first in a series of efficiency briefings, the Audit Commission asks what scope there is for improving the efficiency of the acute care pathway in adult mental health, while maximising quality. Data show there is wide variation between the use of inpatient beds and bed-days, and spending on crisis resolution and home treatment teams. Mental health trusts and primary care trusts need to work together to understand the detail behind the headline figures.

Surveys of carers

The NHS Information Centre for health and social care has published provisional results of a Survey of Carers in Households in England 2009/10 and the Personal Social Services [PSS] Survey of Adult Carers in England – 2009/10, a survey of carers’ experience of social services or health services.

Revised whistle-blowing guidance

The Social Partnership Forum has produced a new guide to support NHS organisations to promote best practice in their whistle-blowing policies and procedures. The guide, written by the independent charity Public Concern at Work, suggests simple steps to help NHS organisations ensure their whistle-blowing arrangements work.

Scottish news: Action plan for mental health

A blueprint for maximising the contribution allied health professionals (AHPs) make to supporting people with mental health problems has been unveiled by Public Health Minister Shona Robison. The three-year action plan will help bring together the work of AHPs in mental health with service users and carers, professional bodies and NHS Boards in a bid to further improve the quality and range of care and support delivered to people with a mental illness.

MSPs worried by mental health target shortfall

Concerns have been raised by MSPs about the number of times youngsters with mental health problems are admitted to adult hospital wards for treatment. The Mental Welfare Commission has reported that in 2008-9 there were 149 occasions when under-18s were placed in adult beds. Members of Holyrood’s Equal Opportunities Committee said they were "concerned at the failure to reach the target for reducing the number of admissions of children and adolescents to adult hospital beds".

World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH): new Secretary General

The WFMH Board has appointed a new Secretary General and CEO, Dr Vijay K. Ganju. With his leadership, WFMH has started to re-examine its current and proposed activities and priorities. If you have any suggestions regarding the future directions, please email.

Doctors say patients with learning disability receive poorer care

A survey published by Mencap to launch its new campaign, Getting it right, has found that almost half of doctors and a third of nurses say that people with a learning disability receive a poorer standard of healthcare than the rest of the population.

The survey of over 1,000 healthcare professionals also found that:

• almost half of doctors (45%) and a third of nurses (33%) also admitted that they had personally witnessed a patient with a learning disability being treated with neglect or a lack of dignity or receiving poor quality care.
• nearly four out of ten doctors (39%) and a third of nurses (34%) went as far as saying that people with a learning disability are discriminated against in the NHS.

Study calls for early intervention for vulnerable children

Taking vulnerable children into care earlier could save millions of pounds for taxpayers as well as being much better for the child, according to the Demos report. It found that taxpayers could save nearly £33,000 per child per year if they receive earlier and more effective care.

Young mental health campaigners honoured with Diana Award

A group of young campaigners have been honoured with the Diana Certificate of Excellence for their commitment and work in the field of mental health. Very Important Kids is a panel of 20 young people which aims to provide a voice for children and young people with mental health problems. They campaign regionally, feed their views into national policy-making and talk to the media about their experiences to raise awareness about emotional wellbeing and mental health.