GSD: Mental Health Board Report “Exposes Systemic Failings”
The GSD says the 2018/2019 Mental Health Board's report exposes “systemic failings” in mental health administration and the treatment of patients at Ocean Views and the Community Health Facility.
A statement continued: “The report exposes serious flaws in the system on a wide range of issues from administrative failings to the inadequate monitoring of patients on lithium to potential human rights breaches. The GSD calls on the Government to update the community on what steps have been taken since the report has been prepared to remedy the systemic shortcomings and failings including explaining the reason for the long delay in publishing this report and when the 2019/2020 is expected.
“It will be recalled during the General Election that the GSD pledged a radical plan to boost mental health services and the introduction of a Care Quality Commission to independently monitor and audit mental health provision amongst other matters. In addition and earlier this year the Leader of the Opposition wrote to the Chief Minister and Together Gibraltar seeking to establish cross party Select Committee on Mental Health to report on the improvements to mental health provision in Gibraltar.
“The GSD repeats the call for a comprehensive mental health strategy and joins with the Gibraltar Mental Welfare Society in requesting that the Government now publish the full results of the mental health audit which they have failed to do despite repeated calls over the last 12 months.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Elliott Phillips said:
"The publication of the Annual Inspection Report raises serious issues about systemic failings in the administration and treatment of mental health in our community. It is important that as a community we recognise where we excel and where we fail and to do that we need to have an honest and open debate on how we can address the deficit in mental health provision. “During the General Election we proposed a clear policy which was designed to focus on an (i) A&E service for mental health, (ii) a specific budget for mental and (iii) a Care Quality Commission to name a few but without the raw data arising from the audit on our current provision and how it needs to improve, mental health will continue to be the Cinderella of the service. The Government must confront the reality of the failings and put the provision mental health on par with physical health."
