Organisations call for more funding to tackle NI mental health tsunami

OFFICIALS will today hear a call from a mother whose daughter took her own life and other campaigners to take extra measures to address the escalating mental health crisis in Northern Ireland.

Over 40 organisations and individuals have issued a joint call to the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) to ensure that funding for counselling services is significantly increased in line with need and that access to counselling provision in all GP practices is made available.

Participation & Practice of Rights (PPR) will meet with board members today. Among them will be Christine Rocks, who lost her daughter Samantha to suicide 12 years ago.

“Access to counselling through your GP practice is a vital treatment option for people with mental health problems or for those battling suicidal thoughts,” she said.

“But getting to see a counsellor is a postcode lottery. It totally depends on where you live. Even when your practice has a counsellor we know that people wait for up to six months to be seen.

“The awful reality is that some people will be dead before they get the help they need. The HSCB needs to at least double the amount of money it is putting into GP practice based counselling, and do it now.”

Christine now runs support network SAM88 in the Cookstown and Magherafelt areas.

“I wanted to bring something to south Derry and that’s why I set up the group,” she said.

“Over 90% of people with mental health problems will be treated by their GP, with approximately one in three GP appointments being for mental health.

“GPs have a vital role to play in the prevention, detection and treatment of mental ill-health, as well as in the prevention of deaths by suicide.

“For many people who attend their GP with mental health problems, counselling offers an effective, low cost form of treatment. But nothing has improved since the death of my daughter Samantha.”

Marie Quiery is a psychotherapist working on the ground in Belfast. She says the level of distress in Northern Ireland has rocketed in the past 10 years.

“We have to recognise Northern Ireland is facing a mental health crisis,” she said.

“We need to know why a third of GPs are still not taking up the current funding for counselling that’s available, although the funding there at present simply isn’t enough.”

Among those who have signed an open letter calling for more support are Aware NI, Victim Support NI, Women’s Aid NI and Nexus NI.

East Belfast GP Dr John Kyle said: “There has never been a greater need for counselling. GPs are at the front line and adequate counselling resources is not just sensible, it’s becoming essential.”

The Health and Social Board says it’s looking forward to “further engagement on this important issue”.

The board said: “Most people with mental ill-health are referred by their GP to secondary care and are treated by mental health services in the five trusts across NI. The spend for the Mental Health Programme of Care was £267m in 2016/17 (excluding Primary Care).

“Common mild to moderate mental health conditions are treated by GPs. Since 2013/14 the HSCB has invested around £2m for talking therapies to support GPs treating these mild to moderate mental health conditions.

“During 2017/18, £1.66m was invested in local enhanced services through GP practices to treat patients with mild to moderate depression and in 2018/19 the HSCB continues to invest in this invaluable service.

“In addition, the Department of Health is working on proposals to develop multi-disciplinary teams around GP practices. This includes a proposal to have mental health practitioners within these teams.”