4 comments so far.Specialisation is the key to better services in mental health – Chris Fearne
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“From the start, this Government has strived to offer the highest level of specialised care to its patients; this is also the case when one looks at mental health. “This was stated by Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Chris Fearne, during the Third Horatio European Festival of psychiatric nursing conference, which is being held in Malta this week.
It is a core belief of this Government that the future of our health care system lays in our human resources and their ability to continue to specialise and develop their skills in order to be able to give higher quality care.
Mr Fearne explained that in 2013 Mount Carmel, became the first hospital in Malta to have the majority of its nurses trained to degree level with specialist mental health qualification. Today this hospital has well over 100 nurses qualified as degree level mental health nurses; while a further 34 students are currently studying to gain further qualification.
The event aimed at celebrating the work of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse, whilst bringing together major researchers in the field of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. During the event it was said that one of the major challenges in mental health is battling the stigma which up until this day remains a major setback.
Mr. Fearne praised the work of the Malta association of psychiatric nurses (MAPN) and remarked that many of the achievements in quality care would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of the mental health professionals working in the field.
Regardless of the provision of the highest quality of in-patient care, unless people who have experienced mental health problems are given greater personal power and responsibility through self-management techniques, they will return through Mount Carmel’s revolving door time and again.
People need to become specialists in their own care. This is the basis of recovery.
Ian, if one has a mental health issue how can one become a ‘specialist in their own care’. The two, not always but usually, are mutually exclusive.
Sorry, Mick. for taking so long to reply; in my experience – even having had mental heath problems – I know that the usual suggestions of a long walk or a quick bath or even pulling one’s self together don’t always do it when trying to make sense of traumatic experiences.
As a survivor of truly trauamtic CSA – and as being an NHS professional – I understand the roles of the poacher and gamekeeper.