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Ensure implementation of the objectives in the action plan to include:

In 2009, the government's ten-year plan - the National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health - will come to an end, signaling a new era. Important policy choices must be made to ensure both that its achievements are built upon and its shortcomings tackled.

Work on developing tangible outcome measures for the Action Plan for Promoting Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing in Newcastle is currently being drafted.

• A number of community based mental health promotion projects have been established, but these tend to exist as small pockets of good practice rather than available to whole communities, and many rely on short-term funding.
• In many cases, access to cognitive behaviour therapy, psychotherapy and counselling are a lottery based on location and the inclination of the GP to refer to such services.

• People with anxiety or depression at a greater risk of:
  • stigma and discrimination;
  • socially isolation;
  • morbidity

• People with anxiety and depression not:
  • being offering appropriate support;
  • gaining adequate access to appropriate treatment;
  • being included in planning for their own recovery.
• Increased costs in terms of use of health services and time lost from work

There is not enough emphasis on preventing and treating mild to moderate mental illness. General practice provides most of the treatment and because of pressures of time and lack of any alternative this usually results in a prescription for anti-depressants. There is under-provision of cognitive therapy. (Health Improvement Strategy for Newcastle 2007 - 2017)

See the Facts and Figures section where those at greatest risk of developing mental ill health are identified.  As there is not currently adequate local data, more work is needed to understand particular mental health inequalities in Newcastle.

Services for people with mental health problems in Newcastle are provided by Newcastle Primary Care Trust, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust, Newcastle City Council and the voluntary and community sector. 

A Mental and Emotional Wellbeing Delivery Group was set up in August 2007. This group comprises members from a wide range of statutory and non-statutory organisations including the Local Authority, Primary Care Trust, Community and Voluntary Organisations.  The Action Plan under development identifies current services and examples are provided below:

National

In preparation for the review of the National Service Framework for Mental Health, 'A New Vision for Mental Health' 2008 discussion paper on the future shape of mental health policy by the Future Vision Coalition calls for action to build on the NSF for Mental Health, to put mental wellbeing at the centre of public policy and to improve the quality of life of all people with mental health problems:

A research project looking at the causes of mental health problems in the Inner West, and preventative factors and the role of the voluntary and community sector in providing support, was carried out during Spring 2008 by the London School of Economics, on collaboration with the West End Community Development Consortium and with West End Health, Enabling Action and Response (WEHEAR) - a local community network.

The following factors were identified as contributing to mental health problems locally: