Mental Health Solicitors

Here at Duncan Lewis in the Mental Health department, we are always seeking to raise the profile of mental health issues in order to ensure that our clients, and indeed all those suffering these problems, gain access to the care they should be receiving. We are therefore keen to highlight any new government plans to improve mental health services. The Prime Minister has given a speech at the Charity Commission addressing her plans to tackle the hidden injustice of mental illness. Within those plans; additional training is to be provided for teachers, an extra £15 million is to be allocated to Community Care, and a £67.7 million investment into online services such as self-checks is to be made.

Nevertheless, mental health experts have identified that more funding is required to improve services. This has long been an issue and mental health charity, Sane, highlights the fact that the plans proposed by the Prime Minister must be matched by significantly increased funds to mental health trusts. Another mental health charity, Mind, states that whilst it is encouraging to hear the PM seeking to make positive changes to improve mental health services, the plans identified will only be successful if patients within these services experience a positive difference in their day-to-day lives.

Theresa May, in her speech, referred to plans to use the State to create a “shared society”. It is hoped that attitudes towards mental health problems will be transformed as a result of these plans.

The Government reveals, that, at any time, one in four people has a mental health disorder, with an annual cost of £105 billion and research highlights that young women are at the highest risk of having mental health problems, whilst politics and jobs are leading to increased anxiety amongst the youth of today.

It seems, positively, that Mrs May is not merely focusing her attention on deficits within the NHS when highlighting her overhaul plans; The Prime Minister stated in her speech that every secondary school is to be offered mental health first aid training and trials will take place on strengthening links between schools and NHS specialist staff; including a review of children and adolescent services across the country, led by the CQC.

Reassuringly, we are told that, by 2021, no child will be sent away from their local area to receive treatment for mental health issues. Sadly, this is fairly common practice at present and Rachel Caswell, Director of Mental Health at Duncan Lewis, encounters many situations where adolescents in particular are sent to placements outside of their locality to receive specialist treatment. “This can be particularly distressing for the patient and overwhelming for the family members too, who are suddenly faced with not only the emotional upset of their child being placed so far away from home, but also the practical difficulties of travelling to see their child.”

Mental Health Campaigner Lord Stevenson and Paul Farmer, Chief exec of Mind will carry out a review on improving support in the work place; training will also be given to employers to support staff who require time off work. There will be more focus on Community care, with an extra £15M towards this and less emphasis on patients visiting A&E.

There will be a reallocation of £67.7m for online services, such as symptom checks before face-to-face appointments and, encouragingly, a review of the health debt form – under which patients are charged up to £300 by a GP – for documentation to prove to debt collectors that they have mental health issues.

The PM also confirmed that a New Green paper would be published later in 2017 on the mental health of children and young people, in order to “transform services in education & within families.” The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, advised that the new measures will address the pressures of social media, cyber bullying and the huge increase in self-harming.

This renewed focus on mental illness will raise the profile of the issue and reaffirm the goal towards achieving “parity of esteem” with physical health.

Author Rachel Caswell is a Director in the Mental Health department. She has experience in all aspects of Mental Health law, with particular expertise in representing patients detained in adolescent Mental Health units at First Tier Tribunals. Rachel also has a keen interest in Restricted Mental Health cases.

Duncan Lewis is the UK’s largest provider of Legal Aid mental health services and can advise mental health patients on a wide range of issues – including access to NHS mental health services and detention under the Mental Health Act. Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors regularly visit NHS hospitals to advise on mental health law – and are available across England and Wales at short notice for hospital and police station appointments. In some cases, Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors may be able to advise the nearest relative or carer of a mental health patient on a range of issues, including initiating treatment reviews where appropriate. For expert legal advice on mental health law, call the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors Helpline on 020 3114 1124. You can also contact Rachel Caswell in Dalston by calling 020 7275 2793.