News
Mental Health in Wales funding
boost
A network of GPs and health professionals administered by RCGP
Wales has received funding to develop a Gold Standards Framework
for primary care mental health in Wales.
Edwina Hart, Minister for Health and Social Services at the
Welsh Assembly Government, announced the grant of £325,000 over
three years at the Wales Mental Health in Primary Care Network
Conference entitled 'New Ways of Thinking to Make a Difference -
Closing the Gap Between Policy and Practice.
The proposal for the Gold Standards Framework for Primary Care
Mental Health was drawn up by the Wales Mental Health in Primary
Care Network (WaMH in PC), a network of mental health practitioners
administered by RCGP Wales to provide a forum for sharing models of
good practice, exchanging information between isolated practices
and supporting the primary care mental health community across
Wales.
The Framework, an initiative unique to Wales, is being developed
by WaMH in PC to improve the profile of mental health and provide
GPs and primary care practitioners with an effective framework with
which to commission and provide services.
The funding will allow WaMH in PC to establish a scoping group
to identify the needs of users and carers and to produce new care
pathways based on open communications between the service user and
those involved in delivering care.
It will also support recovery from mental illness through
evidence-based services, fund research and development and
encourage good practice by engaging with individuals and their
carers and operating a patient-centred approach.
Dr Huw Lloyd, a GP in Wales and Chairman of the RCGP Mental
Health Group, says ' The Gold Standards Framework demonstrates the
vision for the provision of world class standards for Primary Care
Mental Health in Wales via good organisation, high standards of
training and positive attitudes to well-being.
We look forward to working with others, drawing on expertise
both within Wales and elsewhere, to establish the high standards
that the people of Wales deserve.
The scoping group will present early results of the work at our
next conference to be held in Cardiff on April 29th 2008'
Below are links for archived documents