Embargoeduntil 12.01 Saturday 7 April 2001
Commenting onthe governments announcement of 30m to improve conditions in psychiatricwards, Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE,said:
SANE hascalled for improved conditions in hospitals over the last 15 years, when it hasbeen unfashionable to campaign for in-patient beds. Care in the community canonly work with the backstop of a place to go when a person is no longer able tocope on their own or living with their family.
Over the last20 years over 50,000 psychiatric beds have been lost and the hospital unitsthat are left, far from being centres of excellence, have deteriorated underthe pressure.
There is noexcuse for the kinds of conditions our callers describe: wards likebattlefields; demoralised staff; patients living in squalor with little or noactivity; and often being discharged toearly, without the time and space to recover
We have paid a heavy price for theover-optimistic implementation of care in the community and the failure toensure that monies from the closure of institutions went back into mentalhealth, depriving people with mental illness a place of refuge and dignity.
This is the single most important pledgethis government has made to improve the outlook for people with mentalillness.
ends
Forfurther information contact Alice Griffiths on 020 7247 6647 or
07718735 121 or Marjorie Wallace on 0860 812 566