Better mental health care needed for young people

Inconsistent mental health care provision is putting young Brits at a disadvantage, according to a new report from Ofsted.

The study highlighted the importance of accessing proper treatment at the right time for mental health problems, particularly for patients of an early age.

John Goldup, director of development for social care at Ofsted, said: "The stigma attached to mental health and the language used to describe it is very rooted in a whole range of social and cultural factions.

"It is not easy to overcome, but that doesn't mean we don't have to continue to work to overcome it. It is about action on a national scale and local scale."

Research from YoungMinds shows that one in ten children and young people aged between five and 16 suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder.

In October 2009, the Mental Health Foundation called on the government and NHS to commit more to researching mental illness, which causes 15 per cent of the country's disease burden but receives just five per cent of total health research funds.

The Department of Health has announced a new target to halve the number of smokers in the UK, from 21 to ten per cent of the population, over the next decade. According to the secretary of state for health...

Health charity Asthma UK has called for further funding to back the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) new campaign that aims to increase access for patients with long-term conditions to specialist nurses. ...

Public health minister Gillian Merron has announced details of a new initiative that will see corner shops across the UK working with the local NHS to promote positive eating habits. Following a successful...

Some 44 per cent of maternity units in the UK do not have local guidelines for the care and management of women with obesity, new findings reveal. The survey conducted by the Centre for Maternal and Child...

People in Scotland may be interested in taking out private medical cover as an alternative to NHS care following an inspection of the country's hospitals. According to the Healthcare Environment...