People’s personal experiences of mental health problems formed the backdrop to a development and training conference for GPs, sponsored by Time to Change, the anti-stigma programme run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.
The conference, which was hosted by Professor Clare Gerada, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners – a network of over 46,000 GPs around the UK - included a series of presentations and workshops emphasising the need for GPs to look after their own wellbeing to ensure they can effectively care for their patients, including those with mental health problems.
During break out sessions, Time to Change trainers – who have themselves, experienced mental health problems – delivered training which has been designed to improve GPs’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour around mental health. Nine in 10 people with a mental health problem are seen in primary care, so it is vital that they are able to receive the support they need without facing stigma or discrimination.
In total three-quarters (66) of GPs who attended the conference received the 10 minute face-to-face training. During the sessions the trainer discussed their own experiences of primary care with the GPs and also stories of the stigma or discrimination they have faced in primary care. The trainer and the healthcare professional then worked together to agree ways they could make adjustments to their practice, such as having literature available for patients about mental health problems.
Following the individual sessions, the GPs were signposted to a follow up online training tool so they can continue their learning in their own time. The tool brings together 'bitesize' information and links to resources to make the training more practical and workable for busy GPs.
The training is part of a wider pilot project being run in Lewisham. It has been set up with funding from the Big Lottery Fund following the evaluation of an earlier pilot among primary care staff, which found that when asked whether they would be willing to work with someone who had a mental health problem, 76 per cent of them agreed before the training and 92 per cent agreed afterwards.
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund we were able to sponsor and attend this conference and take our training directly to GPs. There is evidence that people are still reporting discrimination when using primary care services. At the same time, GPs also say that they don’t get enough training on mental health. That is what has led to the piloting of this new bitesize training package. After building up an evidence base, we would ultimately like to see this available in GP practices across the country.”
Professor Clare Gerada, Chair of Council RCGP, said: “Life is tough at the moment, work load is increasing, the complexity of what we, as GPs, are expected to do has changed beyond all recognition and we are expected to lead both in the consulting room and increasingly outside – combining the role of a clinician with that of a manager.
“Doctors have always risen to the challenge but we must find this time to care for ourselves if we are to continue to be effective carers to our patients, especially those patients with mental health problems. The Time to Change training has been designed to acknowledge the little time and resource we have available. By providing the short bursts of information it will also help us to consider mental health as well as physical health problems when caring for patients - bringing us closer to that crucial parity of esteem between the two.”
Dr David Abraham, from Morden Hill Surgery Lewisham welcomes the refreshing initiative. He said: “Bringing people with experience of mental health problems to the primary care practice illuminates the discussion more than any theoretical discussion would.
“The power of the training narrative in informing us and giving us a reality check is crucial in mental health – to listen more, to understand better and to judge less, but to have the objective of empowerment is absolutely crucial.”
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For more information please contact Hayley Richardson-Roberts, Time to Change Senior Media Officer, on 0208 2152 358/ 07789 721 966
Notes to Editors
Time to Change
Time to Change is England's most ambitious programme to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. The programme is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health and Comic Relief. This Primary Care training programme has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund as part of their Supporting Change and Impact programme.
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) supported the first phase of the Time to Change campaign with a £16million grant from its £160m Well-being programme. The largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has awarded over £4.4bn to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since 2004. For full details of BIG’s work visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Department of Health
On 2 February 2011 the Department of Health launched No health without mental health, a cross-government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages which has the twin aims of keeping people well and improving their mental health and, when people are not well, improving their outcomes through high-quality services.
The strategy is based on six shared objectives, developed with partners from across the mental health sector, and focuses on ‘Recovery’ and the reduction of stigma and discrimination as overarching themes.
To help deliver the objective to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems, in 2011 the Department agreed to support Time to Change, the anti-stigma campaign run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. The Department of Health is providing the campaign with up to £16 million of funding together with a further £4 million from Comic Relief. This funding will help Time to Change continue their work until March 2015.
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is committed to supporting people living with mental health problems. The projects Comic Relief funds ensure people with mental health problems get their voices heard in the decisions that affect their lives and get the help they need to recover. Comic Relief also helps people to promote their rights and reduce the stigma and discrimination they face so that they feel more included in society. The £4 million grant to Time to Change is the second time the charity has awarded Time to Change its largest UK grant and is part of Comic Relief's long standing commitment to this issue. For more information go to www.comicrelief.com