Healthwatch shares insight into experiences of mental health support
Through the West Yorkshire Voice (which includes people living in Craven), people from across the region shared their experiences to help the board plan what needs to happen next to improve services.
Healthwatch, working together in West Yorkshire (Bradford district, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield district, prepared a report on access to NHS mental health services and support.
“I genuinley feel that the NHS has at many times simply thrown me away to die.”
It's never easy hearing people tell us this. Challenges around accessing support for mental health is something that Healthwatch and other partners have consistently heard about over the last few years.
A lot of engagement work has already been carried out and insight produced on this topic. Reports produced in local areas highlight the ongoing issues that people with poor mental health face when trying to get support. The pandemic has further added to the existing challenges of providing quality mental health support that is person centred, timely and delivered in a kind and compassionate way.
Mental health has also been highlighted as one of the priority areas for improving health outcomes in the joint forward plan published by West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership in April 2023.
Based on what people have been telling us about mental health support there has been little improvement or change over the last few years and in many instances things have got worse. The issues outlined in this report come from different geographical areas, populations, and services, however there are consistent themes throughout. These issues are further exacerbated for people experiencing the greatest health inequalities, with many facing additional challenges.
People have also told us that they are tired of being asked about their experiences of mental health support and not seeing real change. They want to see outcomes based on the many experiences and personal stories that have already been shared.
“It is like they go through the motions of offering support, but it is not person centred or individual to me, more a tick box exercise”.
What you told us:
"The services are appalling."
“It has taken me nearly four years. I have complained and got nowhere.”
“This is a pointless post [asking for feedback], sad to say. And in the meantime, people lose lives due to a lack of services.”
“It’s absolutely shocking. There are so many incidents of desperate people becoming a victim of suicide due to lack of support.”
“I think some of the services are abysmal. People get passed from pillar to post, slipping through the system.”
“There are too many paper trails to pass through and tick boxes to fit certain criteria. Then people hit a dead end, only to be passed onto someone else. And then they have to repeat everything yet again."
"It’s too much for someone who is reaching out or at breaking point, only to be directed to somewhere else. It’s not even a face-to-face for most people.”
Our recommendations
- Person centred care – Care should be centred around the needs of each individual and should take account of every aspect of people’s lives. People should be fully involved in their care.
- Communication – Communication should be simple, clear, and provided in a format that meets the person’s needs. Good communication greatly improves people’s outcomes and minimises some of the harm caused by lengthy waits for treatment.
- Information – There should be clear accessible information about what support is available and how to access that support. The information should be provided in a format that meets the needs of the individual.
- Access – People should have timely access to mental health support when they need it and in a way that works for them. People’s care should not be restricted by referral criteria or them ‘falling through the gaps’ because they do not fit the criteria.
- Coordinated support – Services should talk to each other and work together to offer high quality support that meets each person’s needs, especially for those that have multiple and interacting health conditions. Good coordination can lead to a positive impact on people’s wellbeing and make people feel safe and in control.
- Kindness and compassion – People should be treated with kindness and compassion and in a respectful way. There is a key link between compassionate care and people’s confidence and trust in services and better outcomes.
- Health Inequalities – The additional challenges faced by those with the greatest health inequalities and their needs and preferences should be recognised and supported by all services.
What happens next?
Sharing your views directly with local NHS leaders
The NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board are looking at ways to make mental health support better for people. They discussed this Healthwatch report and ways to improve services.
The board is part of the legislation set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, which came into force on the 1 July 2022. It focusses on improving outcomes for people by addressing health inequalities, the difference in care received and effective use of budgets across the area. It is part of West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, an integrated care system.
The board’s role includes delivering the plan for health and care services in West Yorkshire over five years.
Read the full report
For services in West Yorkshire (even if you live in North Yorkshire)
Find out what people have been telling us:
Read our report on mental health support
We did a seperate report on people's experiences of services based in North Yorkshire. These come under the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. You can read that report here:
Read our report on experiences of services
