Melton, the Leicestershire borough, has been named as most accident-prone place in Britain, while Runneymede in Surrey was found to be safest. (I wonder how long it would stay that way if I moved there!)
The National Audit of Schizophrenia (NAS)
The National Audit of Schizophrenia (NAS), the largest ever clinical audit of schizophrenia, published its national report in December 2012. The report shows very low levels of physical health monitoring for people with schizophrenia and variable prescribing practice. It also shows that people with schizophrenia are often not involved in decisions about their care and treatment, and are given information that is inaccessible and difficult to understand.
(http://www.rethink.org
George Osborne’s Autumn Statement
5 December 2012 saw the delivery of George Osborne’s Autumn Statement, and worryingly Mind has stated that they believe that ‘the Autumn Statement will have disproportionate impact on those with mental health problems’, and are particularly concerned with cuts to benefits.(http://www.mind.org.uk/news
Compassion in Practice
This year has also seen a push to the development of a culture of compassionate care, with a new three-year vision and strategy for nursing, midwifery and care staff that aims to build the culture of compassionate care in all areas of practice. Called Compassion in Practice, it has been drawn up by Jane Cummings, the Chief Nursing Officer for England (CNO), based with the NHS Commissioning Board, and Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing at the Department of Health. (http://www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk
Patients Get New Rights
Patients with mental health problems are to be given new rights over which consultant psychiatrist they see under new plans to end institutional bias against them in the NHS, although this may not come into place until 2014. Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, who has been instrumental in securing the change, said: ‘It does not make any sense that some of the most vulnerable members of our society have little control about how their condition is treated. If any group of patients could benefit from being empowered by taking control of their own care, it is people with mental illness.
My overriding priority is to ensure that mental health is finally considered in all aspects of NHS care, so that it no longer suffers from the institutional bias that has existed for so long.’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012
Health and Social Care Act 2012
‘Without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest health and wellbeing related thing to happen in 2012 was the passage of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 after a year of wrangling. Changing as it does the nature of the way the NHS works and will work in future, what local authorities are responsible for and how health and social care will be run, it’s hard to think of anything that will have more impact on your heath and wellbeing over the next few years. Well, apart from the ongoing effects of austerity and recession on the overall way our own lives feel and what happens in them.’ Mark Brown (OneInFour)
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