Tag Archives: mental health
20% of people in the UK face mental illness
ONE in five Britons has faced anxiety and depression, with women reporting it more than men and the worst-afflicted age group being 50-54.
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust 'should rethink' cuts
Rethink “inadvisable cuts”
The resignation of the chief executive of Norfolk and Suffolk’s mental health services will provide an opportunity to rethink “inadvisable cuts”, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said.
Aidan Thomas is leaving the post at the end of the month.
Aidan Thomas is leaving the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which plans to cut up to 500 jobs.
The BMA’s Dr Rob Harwood said it was a time of “disruption and upheaval”.
“Staff are increasingly concerned about the safety and quality of services,” he said.
The trust is looking to save £40m over four years and could lose 49 doctors’ posts.
‘Safe services’
Dr Harwood, chairman of the Eastern regional consultants committee, said the BMA “admired Mr Thomas’s energy, sincerity and commitment” and was “sorry that he has resigned”.
But he urged the trust to use the change in leadership as a chance to reconsider its planned cuts.
Memory quilts cover Hampden pitch to showcase lives of people with dementia
The playing surface at Hampden was covered with thousands of memory quilts
Thousands of quilts stitched with the memories of people with dementia have been spread out to cover the pitch of the national stadium at Hampden.
The event is linked to the Alzheimer Scotland Scottish Football Memories Project, which uses football to stimulate memories of the past.
Some of the quilts on show featured stars including Sir Alex Ferguson, Gordon Strachan and Craig Brown.
Former Scotland manager Brown was at Hampden to show his support.
Ann Hill, resident quilter at NHS Dumfries and Galloway, has been a driving force behind the event.
Work to create the quilts sees people with dementia talk about family, friends, places and events from their past and these are stitched into a quilt which is then presented to the person.
The memories of football teams and games from the past have also been used in a project run by Glasgow Caledonian University.
Ms Hill said: “We have been working on this project for around four years and almost 3,000 quilters from right across the world have rallied to the cause superbly.
