Welfare cuts will push Britain’s mental health services towards crisis

Welfare cuts will push Britain’s mental health services towards crisis
Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Iain Duncan Smith, recently proposed a further £12 billion of cuts to benefits. Making such cuts is likely to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, including those with mental health problems and other disabilities. After all, approximately half of people who need support from the disability benefit Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) do so because of their mental health.

Crisis in Mental Health and Social Care Manchester Conference Sat 14Th March 11am

Crisis in Mental Health and Social Care Conference
Saturday 14th March 11am-3pm
Manchester Methodist Hall

Help to “Stage the Heart” this Valentine’s Day against Killer Cuts to Mental Health & Homelessness Services 11am Prompt Manchester Town Hall Steps

Help to “Stage the Heart” this Valentine’s Day against Killer Cuts to Mental Health & Homelessness Services 11am Prompt Manchester Town Hall Steps

The message is clear and members of the public, Unison members and members of MUN turned out on Valentines Day asking those who Love Manchester to tell Manchester City Councillors not to implement cuts to Manchester Mental Health Services already cut to the marrow as Manchester City Councillor Paul Andrews (Bagley) recently said: “These cuts are already down to the marrow.” MUN’s Chair Paul Reed in response said: ” This mean further killer cuts will mean the loss of lives and that’s something Manchester User’s Network is not prepared to allow, if this Council implements these killer cuts MUN would seek legal action against Manchester City Council.”

Greater Manchester Police & Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Working Together

Greater Manchester Police has collaborated with Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMW ) to provide a training programme for staff that improves the understanding of mental health.

ManVCam: Protesters prepare for Albert Square government cuts rally

Manchester celebrities Shaun Ryder, Terry Christian, Rowetta and Claire Mooney are to lead hundreds of protesters in a rally against ‘appalling’ coalition cuts that have affected the city.

The Mancunian icons will lead crowds in what they are calling a ‘smart rally’— an emulation of the pro democracy demonstrations that took place in Hong Kong back in September 2014.

NHS mental health care ‘pushed to breaking point by lack of beds’

The lack of acute beds available to mental health patients has left the system at breaking point, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has said.

Illustrating the scale of the problem, the college said it understood that on one occasion last year there were no beds available for adults in England. It called for action to tackle the problem.

The college president, Simon Wessely, said: “There is mounting evidence – such as the doubling of the number of patients having to be sent out-of-area for care between 2011/12-2013/14 – that there are simply not enough mental health beds available in some areas.

Study finds texting may be more suitable than apps in treatment of mental illness

Study finds texting may be more suitable than apps in treatment of mental illness
Texting may be a more suitable treatment aid for those with mental illness than mobile applications.

This is the key finding of a new study led by researchers from Clemson University in collaboration with researchers from Indiana University and the Centerstone Research Institute. The study was published in the journal Personal and Ubiquitous Computing.

Suicides highlight the grim toll of benefits sanctions in austerity Britain

Less than two years ago, 50-year-old David tried to take his own life in a council house in Salford. You can still see the scars when he stretches out his arm to light a roll-up cigarette.

“Everything just builds up after a while. I was walking around thinking where I was going to get money from, what [was] I going to do about the kids, how was I going to survive?” says David, as his two daughters sit quietly next to him on the sofa. “I’ve been through the bins and all sorts, trying to make ends meet. I’m not proud of it, but needs must at times.”

Nurse Karen Reissmann against ‘sell off’ of NHS services !

Nurse Karen Reissmann against ‘sell off’ of NHS services !

CAMPAIGNERS presented a petition with more than 8000 signatures to health chiefs against the perceived “sell-off” of mental health services.

Around 40 members of Save Bolton Health Services picketed outside the board meeting of the Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is in the process of re-tendering the contract for psychological therapies services.

Group secretary Karen Reissmann also spoke out during the meeting, calling for more information about the new contract and procurement process.

UNISON stage a four-hour stoppage between 7am and 11am on Monday 24 November.

UNISON has confirmed that its members working in the NHS in England will stage a four-hour stoppage between 7am and 11am on Monday 24 November.