Today it’s World Mental Health Day, the time when for a brief moment some politicians appear on TV to say how concerned they are about mental health services (which they’ve been running since they appeared on TV last year saying the same thing) and how they are going to take bold action to make everything better just like last year.
So here’s something to consider; since 2010 the number of mental health nurses (MHNs) employed in England has dropped from 45,000 to 36,000.
Despite excellent efforts to raise the profile and reduce stigma, waiting lists remain unmanageable and everyone from infants to older adults has trouble accessing appropriate services.
We were promised 10,000 more doctors, nurses and OTs, none of which have materialised.
MHNs are overstressed, overworked and under resourced like never before.
So when a politician appears on television bragging about how they are going to transform services, take it with at least a bucket of salt.
