New Horizons

The U.K. Government has launched its New Horizons consultation paper on the way forward for mental-health services in the U.K. over the next 10 years. The strategy's aims and objectives are that, in ten years time

• Most adults will understand the importance of good mental health and the steps they can take to look after themselves
• Children will be taught about mental well-being in school
• Lifestyle services and psychological treatments will be widely available
• Innovative technologies will be used to promote independence and effective treatment
• People with mental health problems will receive individual care packages and will be able to make decisions about their treatment and recovery plan, as well as monitoring their own condition
• Public services will recognise the importance of services and amenities that maximise the independence of older people
• Inequalities for black and minority ethnic groups, in terms of access to and experience of mental health care, will have disappeared
• The stigma associated with mental health will have declined.
• People will know more about mental health problems and understand that they can happen to anyone
• Everyone will have access to high quality care
• People with mental illness will no longer be at greater risk of health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes
• The association between poverty and mental/physical health will be better understood and addressed.

You can download a copy of the New Horizons report at

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_103144