PPlog

I watched the Lansley announcement on public health on Parliament live this afternoon. Not one mention of mental health in his statement or the subsequent questions. Yet the Department of Health says (and this is current): “Poor mental health and well-being can have an impact on every area of a person’s life; physical health, education, employment, family, relationships, and the effects can last a lifetime. It plays an important part of in contributing to and maintaining health and social inequalities. Good mental health and well-being are associated with improved outcomes for individuals including longevity, physical health, social connectedness, educational achievement, criminality, maintaining a home, employment status and productivity.” I think the DH quote is an excellent one with which I wholly agree. Applause to them. But it is at present fat wormy text - substance but squirming in no particular direction. Mental health, once again in sick repetition, has been pushed to the bac

“It’s a question of us prioritising.” James Bullion was quoted as telling us in the Eastern Daily Press yesterday. Mr Bullion is the Assistant Director of Community Services for Norfolk County Council. He was speaking about the proposed cuts at a meeting of the Norwich Older People’s Forum. I don’t know exactly what their priorities are; I suspect from their consultation document many are to facilitate financial profit for private agencies. But surely some of the things that come first in any public services context; in any humanitarian context are: preventing hardship alleviating pain reducing hunger and poverty facilitating and maximising recovery from illness offering disabled people some quality of life and preventing unnecessary deaths. We live in a society with mainly sick and twisted values.