The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has written to the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing to call on the Welsh Government to ensure parity of service standards in mental health support provision, following reports of a high turnover of staff in the system.
The severity of the situation being faced by the system is apparent from the Public Health Wales publication COVID-19 in Wales, whose findings suggested that, from March to September 2020, 1 in 50 of the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable population had a clinical record of depression and/or anxiety, and of them nearly 1 in 5 had no previous history of mental ill health. The report is the first quantitative study exploring the mental health outcomes amongst the CEV population in Wales.
Commenting on her letter, Janet said:
“I want to see all individuals empowered to access the appropriate support service for them, when and where they need it. This is why I have written to the Welsh Government to make abundantly clear that parity in the standards of service being provided to those with poor mental health must be achieved across Wales.
“Patients currently face a concerning and entrenched postcode lottery as figures show that residents in Cardiff and North Wales experience a much longer wait for assessments than those living within other health board areas. Constituents have made clear that the uncertainty around these prolonged waiting periods can often compound the issue at hand.
“I am also aware of cases where individuals have been assessed but have then encountered extreme difficulties in liaising with a Community Mental Health Team. Some report a concerning stall in progress due to an inconsistency with staffing levels, with trained officials leaving their posts at an alarming rate.
“This is clearly unsustainable given the fact that the pandemic has put a spotlight on our mental wellbeing. This is why the Welsh Government must urgently bring forward a plan to ensure that our mental health support staff feel valued and adequately supported in their work, so as to increase the likelihood that they will remain in post.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- An analysis undertaken at the Wales Governance Centre revealed that the share of people experiencing severe mental health issues increased from 11.7% during the period immediately before the pandemic to 28.1% by April 2020.
- Please find a copy of Janet’s letter to the Deputy Minister attached.
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS
