A new pilot training scheme has been launched in GP surgeries in Lewisham and North Staffordshire by the anti-stigma programme Time to Change to improve healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour around mental health.
Time to Change, which is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, has designed the training after research showed that people with mental health problems are still facing a significant amount of discrimination in primary care services. Nine in 10 people with a mental health problem are only seen in primary care, so it’s vital that they are able to receive the support they need without facing prejudice.
As part of the project, which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, Time to Change trainers – who have themselves experienced mental health problems - will work with everyone from GPs and nurses to reception staff to deliver two specially designed training tools. This approach has been taken 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% agreed afterwards.
The first training tool will see primary care staff receiving a 10 minute face-to-face conversation with a trainer. The trainer will discuss their experience of primary care and also share stories of the stigma or discrimination they have faced in primary care. The trainer and the healthcare professional will then work together to agree ways they could make adjustments to their practice such as having literature available for patients about mental health problems.
In addition, an online training tool will be available so that GPs and primary care staff can continue their learning in their own time. The tool will bring together bitesize information and links to resources to make the training more feasible for busy surgeries. Three topics will be covered including; ‘Being more mental health aware’ - a one stop resource for general mental health information; ‘Making adjustments in surgeries’ to get staff thinking about reasonable adjustments that might be needed - a real life example of this is how a GP who had a patient with Agoraphobia allowed them to come to back door of the surgery so they didn’t have to go into busy waiting area; and ‘Physical vs mental health’ which brings together resources to help people working in primary care look after people’s mental and physical health.
The training is running until March 2013 and aims to train 300 healthcare professionals. The trainers will aim to train a range of people in each primary care setting to get the whole practice thinking and talking about how they can support people with mental health problems.
If successful it is hoped that the project will become self funded and commissioned in other areas.
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “There is evidence that people are still reporting discrimination when using primary care services. At the same time, GPs and other primary care staff 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, which is being delivered by people who have themselves used primary care services for mental health problems. After building up an evidence base, we would ultimately like to see this available in GP practices across the country.”
Dr Hilary Entwistle from the Woolstone Road Medical Centre has already received the training. She said: “Everybody should do this training. It’s the best I’ve had in years!”
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For more information please contact Hayley Richardson, 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