Londoners Require Better Access To Mental Health Facilities
Recent figures showed that more than a million Londoners suffer from some form of mental health problem but find that their access to treatment and facilities is “inadequate”.
According to research carried out by the London Assembly, long waiting lists, confusing referral procedures and a lack of information about what is available are among the issues which are making it difficult for people to access the right treatment and support, reports mayorwatch.co.uk.
The Navigating the Mental Health Maze report also highlighted a number of other barriers preventing the capital’s needy from using the services, such as different referral procedures throughout London causing mayhem and year-long waiting lists for talking therapies.
In addition, the fact that services are only open during office hours, or don’t provide good interpretation and translation services, means many Londoners can’t use them.
Niall Dickson, King’s Fund chief executive, praised the report, adding that it “highlights the challenges facing both London’s mental health services and Londoners who want their mental health needs to be addressed effectively and without delays.”
Alison Armstrong, director of London Wide Programmes at NHS London, added that steps now needed to be taken towards “multi-agency planning and cooperation” if London’s most vulnerable patients were to receive adequate treatment quickly.