The post code lottery!

Something I’m sure anyone who’s had to undergo treatment on the NHS is quite used to hearing. The undisputed variation in availability and quality of treatment can be seen not only for those with mental health care needs but also for those with physical health needs and sadly for those with both you may find yourself in a even deeper pit of despair as you may have a good service for one but not both.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8158059/Postcode-lottery-of-NHS-care-revealed-in-full.html 'Postcode lottery' of NHS care revealed in full

http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/news/913-postcode-lottery-for-sufferers-of-depression-and-anxiety.html Postcode Lottery for sufferers of depression and anxiety

It seems that NHS provision has fallen so far short that the voluntary and private sectors have started picking up the slack. Many private counselling services also provide a certain number of spaces for people that pay according to their means, many more charities have stepped in and organised counselling services on a similar if not free basis, and many more people taking out health insurance. Often these services have plugged a very real hole in the care for that region and if their funding has been lost are much lamented when they disappear.

It seems that as one demographic falls into a crisis situation people then sit up and take notice. Charities come into being and funding is put forward, utilised and begged for each year to provide what is needed or maybe that’s just how the news works. I guess crisis demand is news worthy good honest care is not and when supply and demand do meet, or come close to meeting it’s not mentioned.

I guess I’ve never really followed what was happening to know if a good business plan is being put into action however it does seem that there isn’t one.

 For instance the suicide rates for Scotland are now 79% higher than for other parts of the UK (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-18374755) yet it seems that the gap has been widening for some time. The NHS may be taking action however it doesn’t seem to be translating to the rest of the country but how did it become the problem that it is, it’s been years in the making.

It seems there are so many new initiatives I barely make comment on something and then I find that it’s already being tackled in some way. For instance male suicide rates and the likes of State of mind program (http://www.jonwilkin.co.uk/state-of-mind-campaign) or five ways to wellbeing campaign (http://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/?news=five-ways-to-wellbeing-campaign-shows-encouraging-results-in-bucks) and the five a day maxim, however it isn’t until I go looking for it that I hear about it. They spring up because someone was motivated by a certain set of tragic events or statistics and then no one ever seems to think that maybe, just maybe it would be a good idea for the rest of the country too. And not only that it would be a good idea for them once they’ve reached crisis but a good idea to put it into action now whilst there’s still time to avert the problem.

I good sound business plan with ideas of projected needs and how to meet them would be good, some ideas of the pitfalls you may meet and how to overcome them to because it seems all too clear that there isn’t one. I don’t know maybe I’m asking the impossible but it certainly feels like nothing is being thought through. They want to improve access to talking therapies, but don’t consider the problems of recruiting from and ever shrinking number of trained professionals and still having budget cuts.