Tag Archives: mental health

Chief medical officer: Make mental health bigger priority

Society has not recognised the prevalence of mental ill health, says Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies

Mental health needs to be more of a priority, with targets for waiting times and more protection for funding, says England’s chief medical officer.

Dame Sally Davies said there were signs funding was being cut at a time when the cost to the economy was rising.

Her annual report said mental illness led to the loss of 70 million working days last year – up 24% since 2009.

As well as calling for greater emphasis on mental illness in the NHS, she also said employers could play a role too.

She recommended they allowed people with mental health problems the option of flexible working to keep them in employment and maintaining regular contact during sickness leave.

Funding boost will help older in people in Norwich to conquer their loneliness

Norwich is one of 15 areas in the country to benefit from a £4.5m funding boost aimed at combating social isolation and ensuring that future generations have the support they need.

Monday, September 8, 2014
6:30 AM

Loneliness and social isolation, which are known to contribute to depression and poor physical health, can hit anyone – but older people are particularly at risk.

In Norwich there are currently an estimated 20,000 older people, many of whom face social exclusion due to ill health, poverty or simply because of the attitude of society towards them.

But from April 2015, and over the next six years, Getting On In Norwich, a partnership project led by Voluntary Norfolk, will receive £4,495,264 to improve the lives of its thousands of older people.

Loneliness becoming a modern epidemic

Family carers can feel lonely?

You’re not alone – more and more people are suffering loneliness. Lisa Salmon reports on a growing and worrying problem

WE ALL have days when we feel slightly alone. Our friends are busy, the kids are away, nobody’s responding to your texts or calls. But this is very different to feeling deeply, inconsolably lonely. Loneliness is a growing problem, in a modern society that spreads people further and further from their family roots and compels them more and more to interact with technology rather than real people.