Schizophrenia Daily News Blog

UK Mental Healthcare Report - Treatment Options Falling

A survey of UK community mental health services in 79 NHS "trusts" found the proportion of mentally ill patients receiving talking therapies had fallen year after year. Key findings of the UK Healthcare Commission report included:

- 39 percent of patients surveyed had received talking therapy in 2006, down from 40 percent in 2005, and 42 percent in 2004

- 35 percent of patients who had not received therapy said they would have liked to

- 52 percent of those who received therapy said they "definitely found it useful"

- 84 percent of teams were rated "fair" or "weak" on schizophrenia medicines management

- 89 percent of services for schizophrenia had not adequately recorded side-effects

- 49 percent of patients had an out-of-hours contact number from their local NHS mental health service

More information: People who use community mental health services praise their care

Source: UK Healthcare Commission