Last week got off to a great start as we heard the news that Harry and Meghan were to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The country was swept up in Royal wedding fever and I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it. The traditional street parties which haven’t changed since I was a child, continued with their winning formula of neighbours, long tables, bunting, hats, flags, sandwiches and cakes. A quintessentially British experience that has not changed over the decades. The wedding itself was a more modern affair than the traditional royal wedding and it was great to see the Royal family embracing the 21st century.
One of the areas of focus for the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex will hopefully continue to be their support for mental health charities. The increased awareness of the importance of mental health has been facilitated by members of the Royal family and in particular Prince Harry, who has talked about his own mental health challenges.
In and around the Chichester area we have a lot of fantastic charities and our NHS who provide wonderful services to support and promote our mental health. Last week I attended the Chichester lunch club which runs every Tuesday and Thursday in Chichester boys club. The lunch is attended by people with dementia and other mental health issues as well as people who just want to meet up and socialise. After lunch there are a number of activities including word games and cards. I also discovered a new (to me!) board game called Rummikub. I’m not sure anybody was following the rules but it was great fun.
I also visited the Chapel Street Clinic to find out more about the services they offer for those suffering from mental health issues. I met the team of professionals who carry out assessments and treatments that range from adult community services to specialist psychological therapy’s.
The Government has stated that it wants to ensure that mental health is at parity with physical health, a bold ambition. One area that will need more investment is the availability of out of hours support as currently many services are only available during working hours, Monday to Friday. As more people seek to access mental health support we will need to make sure we have enough NHS staff to provide treatment. The peer support system is fantastic as it is a group of staff who support clinicians and are people who have suffered mental health issues themselves. Not only are peer support workers wonderful role models to show how you can overcome or learn to manage mental health issues but they also understand the despair that many patients feel as they have been there themselves. This works really well and will help build capacity and understanding of mental health and how we help people who need support.