Patricia Winchester, CEO of My Voice, an independent advocacy organization, is urging Jersey’s government to take swift action on a new mental health support strategy. She expressed concern that some patients are stuck in hospital wards due to the lack of suitable alternatives. This comes after Health Minister Tom Binet mentioned during a recent scrutiny hearing that the budget for the new plan was not yet determined.
Jersey’s Health Department has estimated that a budget of around £1 million would be needed for the new strategy. Efforts to enhance mental health services in Jersey have been ongoing since 1996 to address the needs of an aging population and provide support for various mental health conditions.
Mr. Binet referred to the £1 million figure as a rough estimate and emphasized the importance of the island moving towards affordable plans. He noted that the department would explore how to enhance mental health care for conditions like dementia and neurodiversity with current funding. Ms. Winchester is urging quick action on the issue, highlighting that some mental health patients have been on hospital wards for several years while families wait for assessments. She also noted that some care home residents have had to relocate due to the challenges of managing advanced dementia. Winchester stressed the importance of prioritizing the most vulnerable members of society and emphasized the need for the new mental health strategy to be implemented without delay.
