NHS South Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Vale Royal Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are to support World Mental Health Day on Saturday, 10 October, to raise awareness of mental health issues and services available across central Cheshire.
World Mental Health Day is a day marking global mental health education and advocacy, which takes place on 10 October every year.
World Mental Health Day was launched in 1992 by the World Health Organization, to increase awareness of mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia.
Each year a new theme is chosen to mark the day – and this year’s theme is dignity.
NHS South Cheshire CCG and NHS Vale Royal CCG will be joining organisations all over the world – including the World Federation of Mental Health and the World Health Organisation – to raise awareness of what can be done to ensure people with mental health problems can live with dignity.
On Friday 9th October, staff at both NHS South Cheshire and NHS Vale Royal CCGs will be invited to an employee event to check on their own mental health.
NHS South Cheshire CCG aims to ensure that people living with poor mental health are treated with the same dignity as people with poor physical health –
including equal access to care and help.
The CCG says that stigmatising and discriminatory treatment can be particularly distressing for a person experiencing a mental health crisis – and
by failing to treat people who have mental health problems with dignity, it is more difficult to ensure that steps are taken to safeguard mental health patients’ wellbeing.
Stigmatising mental health may also lead patients to not seeking help and self-stigma – as well as promoting low confidence, low self-esteem, withdrawal and social isolation in patients.
Lead for Mental Health across NHS South Cheshire CCG and NHS Vale Royal CCG, Dr Jean Jenkins, said:
“South Cheshire and Vale Royal CCGs are fully supportive of World Mental Health Day – and in accordance with the national five-year strategy and their own mental health priorities, both CCGs have already launched a number of programmes in support of people with mental health issues.
“We offer support schemes for people who are experiencing periods of severe mental ill health and those living with long term mental health conditions, including dementia – as well as specialist programmes for children and young people.
“Hopefully, these programmes will help to make access to treatment easier and reduce the stigma attached to mental ill health.”
Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors
Duncan Lewis is the UK’s largest provider of Legal Aid mental health services and can advise mental health patients on a wide range of issues – including access to mental health services and detention under the Mental Health Act.
Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors regularly visit hospitals and police stations to advise on mental health law – and in some cases may be able to advise the nearest relative or carer of a mental health patient on a range of issues, including initiating treatment reviews where appropriate.
For expert legal advice on mental health law, call the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors Helpline on 0203 114 1124.