Tag Archives: mental health
Patients 'imprisoned' in care homes, report finds
The committee said it was “very concerned by what we heard about the safeguards”
The report highlighted the case of Steven Neary, who has autism and a severe learning difficulty.
Vulnerable adults are being kept virtual prisoners in care homes because of misuse of mental health laws, a House of Lords committee says.
The report expressed serious concerns that safeguards brought in to protect vulnerable patients are actually being used to “oppress” them.
It looked at how reforms passed in 2005 are working, but called for a new system to be drawn up from scratch.
The Ministry of Justice said it welcomed the report.
Screen carers for depression, say doctors' leaders
The Royal College of GPs said carers often neglected their own healthcare needs
11 May 2013 Last updated at 14:27
Carers should be routinely screened for signs of depression by their GP to ensure their health needs are not neglected, doctors’ leaders say.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) estimates one in every 20 patients registered with a GP practice is providing unpaid care.
About 40% of carers are thought to be at risk of depression or stress because of their caring role.
Charity Carers UK said GPs had a vital role to play in supporting carers.
It is estimated that seven million people in the UK currently provide unpaid care to a sick or disabled child or an adult who could not otherwise live independently.
Many of them are already known to GPs, but the RCGP says more should be done to improve the support and services offered to carers.
RCGP to help GPs support carers
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has been awarded more than £380,000 from the Department of Health to develop a unique online information ‘hub’ to help GPs improve the support and services they provide for carers.
Ingrid Torjesen
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
The hub will collate all the information GPs, primary healthcare staff, practice teams, commissioners and Health & Wellbeing Board representatives might need to identify and support carers, bringing together RCGP resources from the RCGP Supporting Carers in General Practice programme, as well as signposting to external resources.
The hub will have information about the needs of carers, right from the initial diagnosis of the person they are caring for through to resolution of the condition or end of life, with a focus on depression. It will also offer guidance about what questions to ask carers, what rights they have and what support is available. The aim is to link a range of supplementary resources on disease specific conditions including dementia, end of life care, cancer and mental health.
