Mental Impairment in the West Midlands: 10 Years on

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
David William Perry ◽  
Carl Benton ◽  
Martin Walsh ◽  
David Martin ◽  
John Corbett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Service Development ◽  
The West ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
West Midlands ◽  
Mentally Impaired

In 1989, a survey was undertaken to describe the learning disabled population, originating from the West Midlands, classified as mentally impaired or severely mentally impaired under the Mental Health Act 1983. The results obtained were then used to help guide future service development within the region. Given the marked changes in service provision over the subsequent decade, the study was repeated in 1998–1999, looking at the same population on 1st December 1997 (prior to the Bournewood Ruling). Attempts were made to identify all people residing within the West Midlands region, or originating from it, and classified as mentally impaired or severely mentally impaired under the Mental Health Act (1983). This was achieved by contacting medical records departments, learning disability consultants and Health Authorities. The same data set as the original study was then collected from case notes to allow comparison. The current study however, collected extra information, relating to diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Ninety-three people were identified for the study. Over the 10 years, there has been approximately a 100% increase in the numbers of people detained under these categories of the Mental Health Act (1983). There has been a marked increase in the use of the private sector, as well as out-of-region placements. Sexual offending seemed a common reason for detention. The authors attempt to explain this phenomenon. They also highlight the need for future developments and greater systematic data collection.

scholarly journals The Mental Health Act 1983

1999 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 534-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Bhatti ◽  
Jeremy Kenney-Herbert ◽  
Rosemarie Cope ◽  
Martin Humphreys
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Random Sample ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
The West ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
West Midlands

Aims and methodA one-in-five random sample (n=104) of practitioners approved under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983 in the West Midlands was selected. Opinions were sought on issues relating to current law and potential reform.ResultsEighty-three (80%) doctors were interviewed. Over half (52%) stated that the term ‘mental illness' in the Act was unsatisfactory. Two-thirds (68%) specified the need for a review of legislation relating to treatment in the community.Clinical implicationsThere was a diversity of views. This is likely to be reflected in the clinical practice of those interviewed. Many respondents believed that there was a need for reform in specific areas of the Act.

scholarly journals Ambiguity in Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 388-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laofe Ogundipe ◽  
Femi Oyebode ◽  
Amanda Knight
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Random Sample ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Early Assessment ◽  
The West ◽  
Police Station ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
West Midlands

AIMS and MethodTo investigate the interpretation of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 by Section 12(2) approved doctors and to describe a pathway that facilitates early assessment of people detained under Section 136. We surveyed a random sample of Section 12(2) approved doctors in the West Midlands.ResultsA response rate of 70% was achieved. Approximately 65% believe that it would be illegal to transfer a person under Section 136 from the police station to a further place of safety, such as hospital. Thirty-five per cent believed that this could be done legally or were unsure.Clinical ImplicationsAmbiguity still remains about the legal interpretations of the provisions of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, which needs to be rectified.

scholarly journals Reforming the Mental Health Act 1983: ‘Joined Up Compulsion’

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Philip Fennell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
The Government ◽  
Personality Disordered

<p>This article discusses the two volume White Paper <em>Reforming the Mental Health Act</em> issued by the Government in December 2000. The two volumes are separately titled <em>The New Legal Framework</em> and <em>High Risk Patients</em>. The foreword to the White Paper appears above the signatures of the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, and the Home Secretary, Jack Straw. This is heralded as an example of ‘joined up government’, and indeed one of the themes of the White Paper is the need for closer working between the psychiatric and criminal justice systems. The primary policy goal of the proposals is the management of the risk posed to other people by people with mental disorder, perhaps best exemplified in Volume One of the White Paper which proclaims that ‘Concerns of risk will always take precedence, but care and treatment should otherwise reflect the best interests of the patient.’ This is a clear reflection of the fact that the reforms are taking place against the background of a climate of concern about homicides by mentally disordered patients, whether mentally ill, learning disabled, or personality disordered.</p>

scholarly journals Discrepancies and inaccuracies in statistics for detained patients

1995 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Nemitz ◽  
Philip Bean
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Hospital ◽  
Regional Health ◽  
Mental Hospitals ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Government Planning ◽  
Regional Health Authorities

While conducting a study on the nature and extent of compulsory admissions to mental hospitals within the four London regional health authorities, discrepancies and inaccuracies were revealed in many of those mental hospital in-patient statistics. The nature and extent of some of these are examined. It is suggested that the value of such statistics for government planning must be questioned as is their value for research. It is recommended that a centralised system of collecting and collating such data be introduced as a matter of priority and that such a system be operated by the Mental Health Act Commission.

scholarly journals How much English health authorities are allocated for mental health care

1999 ◽  
Vol 175 (5) ◽  
pp. 402-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyles Glover
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
District Health ◽  
Inner Cities ◽  
Local Government Finance ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Health Authorities

The authors of the King's Fund report on London's mental health services (Johnson et al, 1997) argued that the formula used by the Department of Health to allocate resources to health authorities fails to meet the needs of inner cities. It is difficult to explore this issue because the principal allocation to district health authorities is set out as a single figure, with no subdivisions for separate clinical areas. This differs from local government finance, where annual allocations are itemised in a report detailing both major components (education, social services and road maintenance), and subdivisions of these (House of Commons, 1998). However, in the process used by the Department of Health to calculate health service allocations, several areas of clinical work, including the care of the mentally ill and learning disabled, receive distinct consideration. An annual publication sets out the detail (NHS Executive, 1998). Slight reworking allows the identification of implied allocations for the following clinical areas: general and acute; mental illness and learning disability; and other community care. This paper outlines the methodology and shows the allocations to health authorities in England for 1990–2000.

scholarly journals Developing psychiatric resources for the new foundation programme curriculum

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S144-S145
Author(s):  
Drew Kinmond ◽  
Fiona Hynes ◽  
Aqib (Mohammad) Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
The West ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Foundation Programme ◽  
Speciality Training ◽  
West Midlands ◽  
New Curriculum

AimsOur aim was to develop an easily accessible, relevant and deliverable resource to meet the training requirements of the new foundation curriculum for Foundation Trainees in the West Midlands. The virtual resource needed to provide information at the correct knowledge depth, whilst also being flexible enough to allow trainees to access the materials despite the challenges of remote working. The West Midlands currently holds approximately 1,300 places for foundation training with an increase in numbers planned for 2023 and 2024.MethodThe United Kingdom Foundation Programme (FP) is a two-year structured, supervised training programme of learning in the workplace developed to prepare medical graduates for speciality training. The Foundation Curriculum is currently being updated in line with the GMC Standards for Post Graduate Curricula to reflect the developing and contemporaneous training needs of doctors and is expected to go live in August 2021.Though the foundation curriculum is broad and does not usually include specific diseases, it is recognised that mental health disorders are common and are frequently missed. The new curriculum makes a specific statement regarding the importance of mental health and specifies a syllabus covering this important area of medical practiceAround 80% of doctors are expected to have exposure to a community medicine placement, with around 40% expected to have placement within a specific mental health setting. Though other community placements may provide some exposure to the acute challenges of mental health, this is not guaranteed.To assist in meeting the FP requirement for training in mental health we developed an online resource for all West Midlands trainees, with lectures and information available that covers all of the core curriculum requirements for the FP. These resources can be accessed at any time of the day, at any point of foundation training, with each module certificated to show evidence of the attainment of foundation competencies ready for students ARCP (Annual Review of Competency Progression).ResultA programme of evaluation and effectiveness will be undertaken when the new curriculum goes live.ConclusionThere is an expected expansion in the number of training Foundation doctors within the next 5 years; therefore the demand for this training is expected to increase over time. As the understanding and awareness of the interaction between physical health and mental health continues to develop, we expected the use of this resource grow into the future.

scholarly journals Assessment and examination

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 405-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Jolly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Taxi Driver ◽  
The West ◽  
Police Station ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Northern City ◽  
Central Police

A 19-year-old student, wandering the streets of a Northern city, is picked up at 3am by a taxi driver. The student requests delivery to a fictitious destination. The student recounts to the driver a series of events including abandonment by parents at the age of six in a forest in the West Country, and subsequent adoption by an elderly couple who live in Birmingham. The taxi driver takes the student to the central police station, where, after a brief interview, sectioning under the Mental Health Act 1983 takes place.

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