Urgent Public Meeting

Hello Everyone,

On June 8th 2011 Manchester Users Network carry on with its campaign meetings. You can support us by forwarding this article to everyone you know. Check out the website www.manchesterusersnetwork.org.uk for regular updates. Write back your opinions to us and or even attend our meeting at:

Park House Hospital
Delauneys Rd
Crumpsall
Manchester
M8 5RB

It will take place on May 11th in the Therapy Centre.

The aim of Manchester Users Network (MUN) is to support users and ex-users of psychiatric services in Manchester and provide a forum for users to have a bona fide say in planning and provision of mental health services. We actively campaign to further the user’s role in the planning, provision and evaluation of psychiatric services.

Now here are some thoughts from a service user about our mission: –

Dear Alan,

I am increasingly becoming concerned, as you are aware the Mentally Ill, are being forced to do stuff they don’t like. Understandably it’s a struggle to care for the mentally ill. Yet all they want to do is be ‘involved’ in their own deeply personal care, that is affected by bigger and broader issues.

They want a voice that is listened to and as equally respected as acted upon. Yet Manchester City Council is not allowing them to do this by pulling the rug between their feet and not telling them to brace themselves. It seems at every corner mines are placed at our feet, we feel our treatment is not becoming of our human dignity and worst of all we are almost completely ignored and then the council imposes up to a £50 charge for counselling!

I learned a long time ago that it is the weak that are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong, this quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.You will never be forgotten for the strength it takes, to make the change that needs to happen, happen, you will be championed by us and endorsed, respected, this is important if you would kindly make the time to act on the issue.

It is now we need you, if we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.

I believe it is good to have an end journey, a ‘goal’ a ‘vision’ of a fair equal society, which supports in a caring manner the vulnerable. But it is the journey that matters most in the end yet seemingly the patients are kicking and screaming at the people trying to help them.

All the way down the path there seems to be friction, and us against them mentality, it does show a lot. As a patient I think it’s not the way we should handle things.

The best way to inspire people to achieving their potential and superior performance is to convince them by everything you do and by your everyday attitude, that you are wholeheartedly supporting them. I support the patient and if you support us and represent us then we in turn shall support you. Jackie Daniels agrees this charging of the mentally ill should have been consulted with the patients, the undersigned.

Every successful person, men and women, I have met are big dreamers like myself. They imagine what their future could be which is ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose. Yet at least one owner of the NHS thinks the ideal solution is simply ‘talking’ with the patient’s, they are indeed capable of it. The issue of charging at day centres does affect the patient.
Our policy is that it’s always too soon to quit and give up and since the journey is the most important thing here I believe the right man is the one that will seize this moment to make change, which is the key to a successful leadership, it’s in influence, not in imposing authority. However when we at times come to a roadblock, we must and are forced to take a detour around the obstacle that is preventing progress.

I reaffirm the philosophy that the golden rule for every business is to “Put yourself in your customer’s place”. The NHS does function and largely focus upon a business model and a business must do a certain amount of scratching around for what it gets, it needs to scrimp and save wherever possible and whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress yet again stops. We will always try to improve the mental health service and we ask that you do not function solely as a business, because it’s our NHS and not a private company.

Much is expected from you the individual with the much needed influence please may you rise to the level of the events and make the dream come true, by stopping this unfair charging policy on the mentally ill. To build a Quality mental health service, is never an accident it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skilful execution. However alone it cannot possibly be achieved, working with us can propel you to victory, and the patients are your power. We all have a common purpose in mind which can be achieved with the understanding of the greatest business ability which is to get along with others and to influence their actions. Never underestimate the power of passion. Know yourself and what you want to achieve whilst working with us and you will win all battles and we shall win this one together.

We guard our honour even if it means letting our reputation fall as we know that reputation is what other people know about you, but honour is what you know about yourself, as real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not, what is left after all honour is lost forever, we become citizens of a shameful and corrupt society.

Honour does have a use and does not need to be defended, just be honourable to yourself if you wish to associate with honourable people and if this truth doesn’t save us and our right to choose how we are treated then, what does that say about us?

21st century England and the mentally ill are charged money per hour of support, then the council will reinvest our money back into their management that will not listen to us and you ask why Manchester has the worst rate of suicide?

Above Document: Written by a Psychiatric Patient, Nelson Ward, Edale House — (Published by MUN)

“Make a Difference, Spread the Word, Save a Life.” Quote by Manchester Users Network (MUN)
Help the Campaign, we will give you our own support, no matter what you do.

~Thank you for your readership~