Dedicated mental health workers working within
a primary care team have been shown to significantly improve
satisfaction for patients receiving treatment for mental health
problems according to a study in this month’s British Journal
of General Practice.
The study, conducted at sixteen practices
throughout Birmingham, considers the experiences of nearly 300
patients. It demonstrates the difference that specially trained
mental health workers can make to patient satisfaction compared
with the treatment they routinely receive in primary care.
In January 2002, Birmingham PCT employed five
psychology graduates to train and then work as primary care mental
health workers in practice teams across the city. The impact of
their work was measured after three months using a patient
questionnaire. Patients in the intervention practices reported much
higher levels of satisfaction with the management of their care -
an important finding when taking into account that high levels of
satisfaction have been shown to improve the likelihood of patients’
adherence to treatment.
Helen Lester, one of the report authors, said:
“Mental health issues are a core part of the work of primary care
and are the second most common reason for consultations, but, there
is evidence that the quality of primary care mental health
provision is variable.
“This study suggests that if all PCTs in
England were to employ mental health workers to work alongside
practice teams, the experience of patients with mental health
problems across the UK could be dramatically improved.”
Ends
For further details contact Lucy Jeanes on
0207 3443129 or email press@rcgp.org.uk
Notes to editors.
Cluster randomised controlled trial of the
effectiveness of primary care mental health workers is
authored by Helen Lester, Nick Freemantle, Sue Wilson, Helen
Sorohan, Elizabeth England, Carl Griffin and Aparna
Shankar.
The Royal College of General Practitioners
(RCGP) is the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom
solely for GPs. It aims to encourage and maintain the highest
standards of general medical practice and to act as the “voice” of
GPs on issues concerned with education, training, research, and
clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has over 25,000
members who are committed to improving patient care, developing
their own skills and promoting general practice as a discipline.
http://www.rcgp.org.uk/