NEWS
MPs call for boost in mental health resources to meet military’s needs By Alistair Kleebauer @alistairbauer
ISTOCK
Greater investment is urgently needed to support the growing number of serving military personnel and veterans experiencing mental health problems, an influential group of MPs said. In a report published last week, MPs on the Commons defence committee anticipated extra pressure will be placed on mental health services by British troops who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The committee’s report was published in the week when UK forces ended their combat operations in Afghanistan.
The report states: ‘Despite assurances from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department of Health (DH), we are concerned that as operations in Afghanistan and Iraq fade from the public’s mind, the necessary long-term support for those injured physically and psychologically will not be maintained.’ The MPs cited the growing number of serving military personnel who seek help for mental health problems at one of the 16 defence community mental health teams (DCMH) in the UK or one of the five overseas units run by the MoD. Between 2007/08 and 2012/13 the number of new cases requiring care from the DCMH increased
Patients being denied wish to die at home Dying patients are being taken to hospital against their wishes because of a lack of resources in the community. An RCN survey of more than 7,700 nurses revealed seven out of ten community nurses have seen dying patients admitted to hospital because of a lack resources to care for them at home.
RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Hundreds of staff have told us about the privilege of caring for people at the end of life. However, many are profoundly troubled by doing so against a backdrop of staff shortages, lack of resources, inadequate training, cost pressures and rising demand.’
from 5,000 to 6,700, according to the report. It adds that the number of serving personnel diagnosed with a mental health disorder rose by 45 per cent, up from 3,500 to 5,100 over the same period.
Willingness to present
Stefano Parlato, a mental health nurse and ward manager at South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, one of six trusts that provides inpatient care specifically for military personnel, said they are more willing to present with mental health problems, such as depression, than they were in the past. ‘It seems to be more acceptable in the MoD. People are expressing their needs more openly and they are more willing to accept help,’ he added. Personnel who are referred to inpatient care by their units’ medical officers may receive as much as daily one-to-one counselling with a mental health nurse as part of a multidisciplinary approach to their treatment and care. RCN mental health adviser Ian Hulatt shares the health committee’s view that there will be an increase in demand. ‘There will be a growing demand for mental health services by veterans. Nursing has clearly got a role to play,’ he said. A DH spokesperson said £7.5 million had been allocated to mental health services for veterans and after April 2015 £1.8 million will be spent every year on veteran care. An MoD spokesperson said it welcomed the committee’s report and will respond in due course. She said: ‘Since 2011 we have made significant improvements to both the mental health support for service personnel and the NHS services available to veterans.’
NURSING STANDARD :: voluses 29 no 10 ::permission. 2014 13 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 01, 2015. For personal november use only. No5other without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
MPs call for boost in mental health resources to meet military’s needs By Alistair Kleebauer @alistairbauer
ISTOCK
Greater investment is urgently needed to support the growing number of serving military personnel and veterans experiencing mental health problems, an influential group of MPs said. In a report published last week, MPs on the Commons defence committee anticipated extra pressure will be placed on mental health services by British troops who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The committee’s report was published in the week when UK forces ended their combat operations in Afghanistan.
The report states: ‘Despite assurances from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department of Health (DH), we are concerned that as operations in Afghanistan and Iraq fade from the public’s mind, the necessary long-term support for those injured physically and psychologically will not be maintained.’ The MPs cited the growing number of serving military personnel who seek help for mental health problems at one of the 16 defence community mental health teams (DCMH) in the UK or one of the five overseas units run by the MoD. Between 2007/08 and 2012/13 the number of new cases requiring care from the DCMH increased
Patients being denied wish to die at home Dying patients are being taken to hospital against their wishes because of a lack of resources in the community. An RCN survey of more than 7,700 nurses revealed seven out of ten community nurses have seen dying patients admitted to hospital because of a lack resources to care for them at home.
RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Hundreds of staff have told us about the privilege of caring for people at the end of life. However, many are profoundly troubled by doing so against a backdrop of staff shortages, lack of resources, inadequate training, cost pressures and rising demand.’
from 5,000 to 6,700, according to the report. It adds that the number of serving personnel diagnosed with a mental health disorder rose by 45 per cent, up from 3,500 to 5,100 over the same period.
Willingness to present
Stefano Parlato, a mental health nurse and ward manager at South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, one of six trusts that provides inpatient care specifically for military personnel, said they are more willing to present with mental health problems, such as depression, than they were in the past. ‘It seems to be more acceptable in the MoD. People are expressing their needs more openly and they are more willing to accept help,’ he added. Personnel who are referred to inpatient care by their units’ medical officers may receive as much as daily one-to-one counselling with a mental health nurse as part of a multidisciplinary approach to their treatment and care. RCN mental health adviser Ian Hulatt shares the health committee’s view that there will be an increase in demand. ‘There will be a growing demand for mental health services by veterans. Nursing has clearly got a role to play,’ he said. A DH spokesperson said £7.5 million had been allocated to mental health services for veterans and after April 2015 £1.8 million will be spent every year on veteran care. An MoD spokesperson said it welcomed the committee’s report and will respond in due course. She said: ‘Since 2011 we have made significant improvements to both the mental health support for service personnel and the NHS services available to veterans.’
NURSING STANDARD :: voluses 29 no 10 ::permission. 2014 13 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Dec 01, 2015. For personal november use only. No5other without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
