Slow progress on mental health policy criticised

Mental health campaigners have said “a lot of ground needs to be made up” if the Government’s mental health policy, A Vision for Change, is to be implemented by 2016.

Representatives of Mental Health Reform’s 21 member organisations used the sixth anniversary of the publication of the mental health strategy to criticise the slow progress in implementing the policy.

A Vision for Change was published in 2006 and marks the departure from an overly medicalised service based in institutions to a modern, multi-disciplinary, recovery-focused and community-based mental health service.

Mental Health Reform director Orla Barry said people with mental health conditions and their families are expecting to see better services and the Government must fulfil its promises.

“The slow progress on advancing the mental health reform programme in times of prosperity now demands accountable leadership and realisation of the promised resources to ensure that the existing implementation gap is bridged.”

Ms Barry said the group welcomed the recently announced €35m targeted for the development of community-based mental health services and the appointment of a director for mental health as part of the new governance structures of the HSE.

However, Ms Barry stressed the need for the publication of a detailed implementation plan setting out deliverables, timelines and who is responsible for it. “The long promised community mental health services are severely underdeveloped and we know that any cash crisis hits community services more. We cannot afford to cherry-pick parts of A Vision for Change.

“The policy must be implemented in full by the deadline set out by this Government in order to make mental health services equitable and accessible for all,” she said.

Mental Health Reform has called on Government to introduce legislation to ensure fully staffed services.

“This would allow for increased transparency and accountability in mental health spending, as well as ensuring better outcomes for those who use the services,” she said.