CMHP Vice-President Nikki Holmes attended the Westminster Health Forum Next steps for mental health: funding, resources, and policy priorities last week.
There were a number of inspiring sessions covering topics such as social determinants in mental health, increasing patient involvement in service delivery and the importance of early years care in the prevention of mental health problems.
The Keynote address was given by Dr Geraldine Strathee, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Mental Health. She talked about the great progress that has recently been seen in mental health, but also reinforced the need for continued action.
She says:
“We have had two years of making unprecedented progress in mental health. We have to continue this pace and scale over the next 10 years to redress decades, if not centuries, of stigma and ignorance about mental health.“
Dr Strathee's blog from her presentation to the Westminster Health Forum can be seen here.
Nikki found the day thought-provoking, sobering, relevant and inspiring. It was also a great networking opportunity. She would encourage other CMHP members to attend similar events in the future.