Welsh charity, Hafal, is forging ahead in its mission to promote patient choice in mental health medication. Julia Wheatley, Manager at Gellinudd Recovery Centre, explains – and discusses the drugs vs therapy debate, in addition to the prescribing-related issues. Hafal is a Welsh charity focussed largely on people with a serious mental illness and their [...]
New training developed by the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) could help the next generation of health workers support millions of patients across Europe burdened by ‘visible differences’ and body image fears. Academics from UWE Bristol identified a dearth of expertise among medics when it came to handling patients worried about their [...]
The Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) spokesperson, Dr Clare Taylor, has responded to a BBC Newsbeat story on eating disorders and their prevalence in males compared to females. Dr Clare Taylor, spokesperson for the RCGP, said, ‘Eating disorders can lead to dangerous consequences for our patients, their families and carers, and research suggests that [...]
Trainees and young doctors are less likely than GPs or consultants to disclose personal mental health issues, according to new research by Cardiff University. Published in the journal, Occupational Medicine, the study, led by Professor Debbie Cohen of the School of Medicine, surveyed almost 2,000 doctors with and without mental illnesses at various stages of their [...]
Statistics obtained by BBC Wales have found that a number of patients suffering mental health problems are having to wait several years for treatment. Although patients experiencing chronic problems are often seen within a week, some waits are mounting to over four years. Aneurin Bevan Health Board is reported as making sufferers endure the lengthiest [...]
The Welsh government has awarded half a million pounds in Invest to Save funding to Welsh mental health charity Hafal to support the development of its groundbreaking new Recovery Centre in Pontardawe. This is the first time Invest to Save funding has been awarded to a third sector-led project. In a written statement, Jane Hutt [...]
New dedicated teams of staff to provide hands-on support for people with mental health needs will be set up in Welsh hospitals, Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford has announced. As part of £30 million for mental health and older people in 2016-17, the Welsh government will invest £2.3 million to create new teams [...]
Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford has announced new perinatal mental health services will be set up across Wales, with 30 new specialist staff backed by £1.5 million of new investment. The new community-based specialist services in every Welsh health board will help to improve mental health outcomes for women with perinatal illnesses, their [...]
A new ground-breaking service to help older people with mental health conditions is now operational in Gwent. Rapid Assessment, Interface and Discharge (RAID) is a specialised multi-disciplinary mental health team working in hospitals in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area. The team provides psychiatric assessment, advice and support to patients aged 65 and over with [...]
Hafal, the Welsh mental health charity, has received £4,950 from the Santander Foundation to Foundation to fund 18 desktops and ten computers at its resource, training and education projects across South Wales. The Santander Foundation offers grants to UK registered charities for projects that help disadvantaged people in local communities. Hafal’s Chief Executive, Alun Thomas, [...]
