Mental Health Solicitors

NHS Providers have published a report, ‘The State of the NHS Provider Sector July 2017’, which has revealed the concerns of senior staff surrounding mental health services in England being at risk of becoming overwhelmed.

These concerns are owing to rising demand, staff shortages, and failures of funding actually reaching the frontline. The report is based on information from a survey of 158 chairs and chief executives from 125 trusts.

The report reveals that roughly 70% of mental health leaders expect demand for mental health services to rise this year, with patients displaying increasingly complex needs. It is thought that high profile mental health campaigns, notably Heads Together, which is advocated by the Royal Family, have resulted in unprecedented demand for mental health services, meanwhile, one respondent attributed the rising demand for mental health services to the “pressures of modern life.”

Furthermore, the report shows that fewer than one in three of the leaders surveyed are confident that there would be enough staff and funding to meet this growing demand.. The number of managers who said they felt confident that they were able to provide high quality care fell to 53% from 60% in November 2016. Many senior managers – over half – who are working in NHS mental health trusts stated that they did not believe access to mental health services in their area would see any improvement.

Further, 80% of respondents from the survey believe that extra money intended for mental health services on a national level does not reach NHS mental health trusts that are operating frontline services. The soaring demand for mental health services means that patients are facing long delays to access care, and the report concludes that children, older people and people in a mental health crisis will too often receive insufficient care for conditions including anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Saffron Cordery, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, has said that children’s mental health services have seen the biggest growth in demand. Cordery expressed great concerns at the results of the survey her organisation carried out, she said: “These concerns point to a growing gap between the government’s welcome ambition for the care of people with mental health needs and the reality of services they are receiving on the front line.”

President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Wendy Burn said: “It is deeply concerning that so many providers fear that they will not have resources both in terms of staff and money to deliver the promised improvements for mental health patients over the coming years.”

A Department of Health spokesperson has said: “We’re committed to seeing mental health services improve on the ground”, and claimed that increased funding will help in the improvement of crisis resolution, home treatment teams and mental health support in A&E, amongst other things.

Rachel Caswell offers her opinion on this matter;

‘Sadly it is becoming increasingly common practice to encounter under resourced NHS providers in Mental Health and this inevitably has an impact on the level of care we see our Mental Health clients receive. It is essential, perhaps now, more than ever, to see a real improvement in Mental Health services on the ground.’

Rachel Caswell is a Director in the Mental Health department. Rachel 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. She is a member of the Mental Health Lawyers Association (MHLA) and the Law Society Mental Health Panel. Rachel undertakes her own advocacy and endeavours to represent all clients personally throughout their proceedings.

Duncan Lewis’ Mental Health team is committed to helping those suffering from Mental Health problems and seeking legal assistance. We travel across the country to assist those detained under the Mental Health Act.

Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors

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 Helplines; for London, Rachel Caswell (Director) on 0207 275 2793 or Midlands helpline; Pardeep Biring (Supervisor); 0207 923 8496.