Press Release
Issued on:17/4/2002
Issued by: Mary Weir, Chief Executive Officer,
National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland) National Office
For immediate release
NSF (Scotland) welcomes
publication of the First National
Overview of Clinical Standards for Schizophrenia
The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (CSBS) today
launched the first national report on how the NHS in Scotland
is performing against the Clinical Standards for Schizophrenia
published in January 2001.
NSF (Scotland) welcomes the fact that the publication of these
Standards was prioritised as one of the first tasks undertaken
by CSBS.
Family members and carers from the Fellowship were
closely involved in the development of the Standards, thus
ensuring that they reflect many of the issues and concerns of
carers and service users. This involvement extended to
participation in the peer reviews of 6 of the 11 Standards,
which took place in all Primary Care Trusts in Scotland during
2001.
For the first time, we have detailed information about the
quality of healthcare services for people in Scotland who are
affected by the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The findings
confirm many of NSF (Scotland)'s concerns. These include the
need:
-
for a systematic, flexible approach to giving information
to service users and carers - about the illness, its
treatment, sources of support inside and outside the NHS, and
about ways that carers and service users can begin to rebuild
their lives.
-
for informed debate about barriers to information sharing
with carers, including issues related to service users' rights
to confidentiality
-
to involve carers and family members in developing plans
of care
-
to provide adequate levels of social and psychological
elements of care to service users
-
for independent advocacy and support for carers as well
as service users
The Report gives invaluable 'baseline' information which can
be used to promote positive change. Over the coming months,
NSF (Scotland) will identify ways in which the expertise of
our organisation's members and service users can contribute to
improvements in NHS services. We will offer this support and
input nationally and, where possible, locally.
We will also
monitor the impact of this Report on the development of
positive changes in services, and will use examples of good
practice in different areas to promote changes in other parts
of Scotland.
NSF (Scotland) believes that good care from NHS services is a
very important part, but not the only part, of the wider
pattern of care required by people with schizophrenia and
their families.
Others include access to social care, an
adequate income, meaningful daytime activity, and suitable
accommodation. Significantly greater resources are needed to
bring the Cinderella of services up to the level required for
these, and other, Standards to be met in full.
Copies of the National Overview, and the reports on each
Trust/Island NHS Board/special health board, are available on
the CSBS website (www.clinicalstandards.org ) or in print
format from CSBS (tel. 0131 623 4300)
ENDS
For further information please contact:
