CM Mental Health

Local authorities are having provide more children and young people’s services without any extra funding. While these budgets have not been subjected to the same cuts as others in community care, rising demand for services while spending remains static in real terms has led to local authorities being forced to be more productive’ in their provision, according to LaingBuisson’s Children’s Care & Special Education Services UK Market Report.

Mental health service users see the relationships with their care co-ordinators as central to their recovery and their care plans are largely irrelevant, according to a new study by Swansea University.

A new approach for caring for people with learning disabilities or autism has led to a 60% drop in challenging behaviour, randomised controlled trials have shown. Research conducted by Dimensions with the University of Kent’s Tizard Centre and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation and funded by the NHS School for Social Care Research also revealed a 50% increase in meaningful activity, active support and staff job satisfaction.

NHS England has promised the biggest transformation of mental healthcare in a generation. Responding to the final report of the independent mental health taskforce, set up by the NHS as part of its Five Year Forward View, it has pledged to invest an additional £1bn a year in mental health services by 2020/21, enabling a million more people to access services.

The latest figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that prescriptions for Alzheimer’s drugs are six times higher than a decade ago.

The government is to award the UK’s first Dementia Research Institute up to £150m to deliver a step change in research and development’ to find a cure for the disease.

The government has announced more that £400m for crisis home resolution teams that would deliver 24/7 treatment in communities and homes as a safe and effective alternative to hospitals’ for people with mental health issues.

Independent mental health providers are calling on NHS England to take decisive action on payment and service integration to make parity of esteem a reality and improve patient outcomes.

NHS England has announced plans to move hundreds’ of people with a learning disability and/or autism out of hospital and into the community.

The first annual figures published on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) since the Supreme Court judgement in March 2014 show a ten-fold increase in applications on the previous year.