Column for the Leicester Mercury for World Mental Health Day.
Thursday this week is World Mental Health Day. This is an
important and timely occasion to consider the city’s approach to mental health.
Good mental health is as important as good physical health
and this should be a guiding principle of all those organisations providing
health services in Leicester. In recent years we have seen improvements in the
NHS approach to mental health but there is much more to do. Much of what the
NHS does for mental health problems does not share the same limelight as
services for physical illness.
This has to change. There remains an urgent need to push
mental health services beyond their historic Cinderella status in the NHS. There
are two reasons why this is vital. First, because anyone accessing services for
mental health problem deserves nothing but the best. I want mental health
services in our NHS and in Leicester to be the best. This should not just be an
expectation but our challenge to organisations providing services.
The second reason is that we need to shift perceptions and
understanding of mental health in society. There remains a stubborn stigma
around mental illness. Take the recent examples of two major supermarket chains
selling ‘Mental Patient’ and ‘Psycho Ward’ fancy dress costumes. These
offensive products led to a public backlash and both costumes were withdrawn
from sale and the supermarket companies made donations to mental health
charities.
This example illustrates the challenge we still face in
tackling stigma and securing a more positive, mature and understanding approach
to mental health in society. It remains too easy for some to slip back into
clumsy language and a view of mental illness that is of a bygone era.
I am determined that here in Leicester we work to be a city
that challenges stigma, properly understands mental health and has an ambitious
approach to better mental health and wellbeing. Improving mental health is one
of five key priorities set out in the city’s joint health and wellbeing
strategy which was agreed and adopted by partners, including the city council,
in April this year.
The city’s health and wellbeing board will work with
partners including the city council, GPs, hospital trusts, voluntary groups and
patients to make this happen. Mental health services in Leicester need to meet
the expectations of patients and the whole community.
Challenging stigma and improving levels of understanding and
awareness of mental illness requires a collective effort across different
organisations. World Mental Health Day is a useful opportunity to reflect on
the importance of this task but to also to reaffirm our commitment and
determination to address it.
This column was first appeared in the Leicester Mercury, 10 October 2013.
