Letters to the Editor: No progress in delivery of mental health care

'Working in the field of homelessness, we meet too many people with serious mental health issues ending up in prison and families and concerned individuals struggling to get even a listening ear — an email or voicemail is no solution.' File picture 

Watching Prime Time Investigates confirmed the view that “the more things change, the more they remain the same” as they focused on A Vision for Change 20 years ago. I clearly recall being at the launch of that report and, to the annoyance of many people, I asked the junior minister at that time if he would propose meeting in 10 years to assess its progress. This question was asked based on my daily experience — peppered with a degree of cynicism.

The first annual report on people with mental illness was compiled as far back as 1851. In June 1972, Ivor Browne compiled a report on the development of the mental health services which contained a broad outline of proposals for future development of psychiatric services in the Eastern Health Board Area.