Mental health statistics

Devon County Council did not have the information requested.

Dear Devon County Council,

How many patients suffering from severe and enduring mental illness(Psychosis) are living at home with families?

Yours faithfully,

Alix Cull

Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox, Devon County Council

Dear Alix Cull
Information Request: 00121
I received your request on 15/02/2010 for information held by Devon County
Council about mental health statistics.
You are entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to be informed
whether or not the information you have requested is held by Devon County
Council and if so to be given access to that information within 20 working
days (subject to any exemptions).

You will receive a response to your request by 15/03/2010.
Yours sincerely

Martin Lawrence

Corporate Information Governance Officer
Strategic Intelligence
Devon County Council
Room L10
County Hall
Exeter EX2 4QD
Tel: 01392 384674
Email: [Devon County Council request email]

Disclaimer: [1]http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml
Applicable to private messages: "Devon County Council accepts no legal
responsibility for the contents of this message. The views expressed do
not reflect those of Devon County Council"

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Dear Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox,

Thank you for your reply. I await the results, as this has a bearing on aftercare in housing, Sheltered employment, keeping contact with the medical people responsible.

Yours sincerely,

Alix Cull

Dear Devon County Counil

Thank you for your reply

I wish to add provision of sheltered housing, sheltered employment, and a continuum of contact with the Mental health Team/and /or / G.P.

Yours faithfully,

Alix Cull

Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox, Devon County Council

Dear Alix Cull

Information Request 00121

I have been in discussion with the Devon County Council Adult & Community
Services directorate who will be compiling a response to your request.
They have asked that I seek further clarification from you with regard to
your original request(s) below. It would be helpful if you could outline
what aspect of the provision of sheltered housing, sheltered employment,
and continuum of contact with the Mental health Team/and /or / G.P you
need information on?

Until we receive clarification on the points raised above, your Freedom of
Information request will be placed on hold. Please note that a new
deadline date for your request will be ascribed and communicated to you
once clarification has been received.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch.

Yours sincerely

Martin Lawrence

Corporate Information Governance Officer
Devon County Council
Room L10
County Hall
Exeter EX2 4QD
Tel: 01392 384674
Email: [Devon County Council request email]

Disclaimer: [1]http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml
Applicable to private messages: "Devon County Council accepts no legal
responsibility for the contents of this message. The views expressed do
not reflect those of Devon County Council"

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Dear Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox,

I have been a carer and worked for the severely mentally ill and their carers for over 30 years. A colleague in Cornwall has obtained a weekly break for his members, and asked me to find(as part of the South West Authority) how many patients with schizophrenia (which I believe is now to be called psychosis) are resident with relatives in Devon. He has done a great deal of good work in Cornwall.
The purpose is to find how many patients now in the community are housed with families. Some will be able to work in the open market, but probably few in the present state of the employment situation.
It is a;so known that some such patients may wander.and
often the Police are unaware of their mental state, and unless there is a psychiatric bed available they end up in the penal system, which is not good for them, and also wastes the time of the Police and the Courts.
Some people with schizophrenia lack the insight to receive treatment, have difficulty in obtaining it in the first place, and there has been little provision made in the Mental health Services for rehabilitation or sheltered work.
My patient is well cared for, and the family are aware of the fluctuating nature of the illness, and between us have managed his rehabilitation and hopefully re-housing when I can no longer be his carer.
I would recommend the website of my colleague which is used for teaching, but also has an extremely helpful introduction for patients and carers who are new to the illness. www.schizophreniawatch.co.uk
Thank you for your response. I should be grateful for any further information which you may think could be helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Alix Cull

Dear Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox,

Why did Professor Appleby in his broadcast on B.B.C. Tuesday not press a more positive attitude to the treatment and care of people with severe mental illness? I think he did them and their carers a dis-service. He never even mentioned the carers.and only briefly that breakdown occurs because the patient does not take their pills.

Yours sincerely,

Alix Cull

Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox, Devon County Council

Dear Alix Cull

Information Request 00121

I am in receipt of your recent email regarding your Freedom of Information
Request. Unfortunately we are still unable to answer your request as we
have not received further clarification on the points raised in my
previous email to you on 24/02/2010. Until we receive further
clarification from yourself, we will be unable to comply with your
request.

In response to your recent email below, I am afraid that Devon County
Council is unable to answer the points raised.

Yours sincerely

Martin Lawrence
Corporate Information Governance Officer

Devon County Council
Room L10
County Hall
Exeter EX2 4QD
Tel: 01392 384674
Email: [Devon County Council request email]

Disclaimer: [1]http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml
Applicable to private messages: "Devon County Council accepts no legal
responsibility for the contents of this message. The views expressed do
not reflect those of Devon County Council"

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Alix Cull left an annotation ()

Further to my letter 0f 24th.Feb. and your request for more information.
1. Housing. This may be of a variety of types from flats - (self contained or shared.) Supervised where necessary according to medical opinion. Unless there is good reason they should be near to family who can keep contact easily.
2. Employment. For people with schizophrenia this is often unwise and impossible. The illness is very tiring and may require frequent visits from or to the Mental health Team. This would be unsatisfactory for the employer.
Sheltered employment with a few patients attending and probably with some supervision from the M.H.T. as with Pentreath Industries in Cornwall which has now sadly closed due to lack of support by the Health Authority.
Working at home if the family are willing and able to support the patient, but with immediate support should the patient show signs of remission.
Holiday breaks as for fit people if they so wish.
Assisting with funding and with claiming any Benefits tow which they are entitled.

I trust this helps to clarify my previous request.
Alix Cull.

If the patient comes into the hands of the police and Courts, the information about their illness should immediately be made available to-the magistrates and other relevant Court Officials in order that disposal is NOT made to prison which is likely to make their illness worse, but with the involvement of the trained Mental health workers.

P,S. Each patient is different with different needs, and the C.P.A. came in later than many became ill, so this may have a bearing on their capabilities, and treatment.,

Dear Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox,

Thank you for your reply. I trust you will be able to give me the information as a help to developing services.

Yours sincerely,

Alix Cull

Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox, Devon County Council

Dear Alix Cull

Information Request 00121

Thank you for your recent email regarding your recent Freedom of
Information request. I have been in discussions with officers in the
council's Adult and Community Services who are currently looking at any
data that we may have in relation to your request. We will be in touch in
due course regarding this information. In the meantime, we would advise
that the Devon Partnership NHS Trust may be better able to assist you with
finding this information. For your convenience, their details are
available from the following web page;
[1]http://www.devonpartnership.nhs.uk/index...

I hope this information is of assistance to you.

Yours sincerely

Martin Lawrence
Corporate Information Governance Officer

Devon County Council
Room L10
County Hall
Exeter EX2 4QD
Tel: 01392 384674
Email: [Devon County Council request email]

Your right to complain
If for any reason you are not satisfied with how your request has been
handled, please write to Devon County Council's Freedom of Information
Office, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD or complete the on-line
complaint form that can be found at [2]www.devon.gov.uk. If your complaint
is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, you have the right to refer
the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Disclaimer: [3]http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml
Applicable to private messages: "Devon County Council accepts no legal
responsibility for the contents of this message. The views expressed do
not reflect those of Devon County Council"

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Freedom of Information Office - Mailbox, Devon County Council

Dear Alix Cull

Information Request 00121

I am in receipt of your Freedom of Information Request regarding people
with Schizophrenia (psychosis) living with families. Unfortunately Devon
County Council does not hold the information that you have requested. We
would advise that you seek this information from the Devon Primary Care
Trust, who may hold the information that you are looking for.

For your convenience the contact details for the Devon PCT are as follows;

Freedom of Information
NHS Devon
Commissioning Headquarters
County Hall
Topsham Road
Exeter
EX2 4QL
Email: [1][email address]
Further details are available from the Devon Primary Care Trust website
[2]http://www.devonpct.nhs.uk/default.asp?p...
I hope this information is of assistance to you.
Yours sincerely

Martin Lawrence
Corporate Information Governance Officer

Devon County Council
Room L10
County Hall
Exeter EX2 4QD
Tel: 01392 384674
Email: [Devon County Council request email]

Your right to complain
If for any reason you are not satisfied with how your request has been
handled, please write to Devon County Council's Freedom of Information
Office, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD or complete the on-line
complaint form that can be found at [3]www.devon.gov.uk. If your complaint
is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, you have the right to refer
the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Disclaimer: [4]http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml
Applicable to private messages: "Devon County Council accepts no legal
responsibility for the contents of this message. The views expressed do
not reflect those of Devon County Council"

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.devonpct.nhs.uk/default.asp?p...
3. http://www.devon.gov.uk/
4. http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml

Alix Cull left an annotation ()

Thank you for your reply and advice. The Mental health services have been sadly neglected Nationally for far too long, although much improved since the itroduction of new medical treatments, Unfortunately the media focus on cases whose outcome have been unsatisfactory, and they have little understanding of the severity and fluctuating nature of mental illness.
It is the aftercare when diagnosis and treatment have been established which is in man cases missing. I would refer you to www.schizophreniawatch.co.uk which is a very helpful site for both patients and families, and for professionals. Thank you again for your time. Alix.