News Release, 22 June 2001
The Mental Health Foundation has been awarded £66,000 by the Department of Health to develop and evaluate effective use of mental health advance statements. The project aims to show how people with mental health problems can get more involved in decisions around their own healthcare and exercise more control over their treatment and care.
The recent Mental Health Act White Paper, Reforming the Mental Health Act, recognises that advance statements can play a part in making decisions around care and support, although the White Paper does not propose that advance statements should be made legally enforceable.
The Mental Health Foundation's three-year project will examine a range of different models of advance directives, advance statements and crisis plans to evaluate how best they might fit alongside care plans or the Care Programme Approach. The aim is to develop models of good practice, with guidelines and materials for practical implementation.
"Mental health is still one of the few areas where people can be treated without their consent - particularly in a crisis. Many mental health service users know through experience what sort of treatment and care works best for them, but unless they are able to communicate this and be listened to when they are experiencing a crisis, this expertise will be overlooked," said Alison Faulkner, head of service user initiatives, Mental Health Foundation. "We need to develop ways of working that will ensure people are able to work with health professionals and plan what sort of support they would want in a crisis."
The project will be developed and managed by the Mental Health Foundation working with Dr Phil Thomas of Bradford Community Health NHS Trust and the Bradford and Airedale Mental Health Advocacy Group.
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For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
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