Archived News 2008:
News items that featured on this site during 2001 have been filed acording to the month in which they appeared. Click on the relevant month below to find the news story you want. Alternatively, you may want to use the search function if you know the details of the news story you are looking for.
January / February / March / April / May / June / July
July
Yong people helped to find artistic side
The PIER Team, a specialist early intervention service, and Soft Touch Arts have secured a Lottery grant to help young people experiencing mental ill health for the first time to uncover their artistic side. (30 Jul 08)
Trust responds to report on acute care
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has responded to the recent Healthcare Commission review of acute inpatient mental health services which rated the services provided by the Trust for adults aged up to 65 as 'weak' overall. (30 Jul 08).
Trust provides a place of safety
A new purpose-built facility at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit has opened to provide a place of safety for the assessment of people detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1988. (30 Jul 08).
Leicester's Happy Health Day
Leicester City PCT has issued an open-invitation for people to join in with Happy Health Day on 26 July to take part in a host of fun health and fitness related activities have have their say on shaping local NHS services. (25 Jul 08).
Have your say on the future of local NHS
Local NHS organisations in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland have begun a public consultation on their vision for NHS health services and improving the health and well-being of local people. (25 Jul 08).
Report highlights varied quality of acute care
The largest ever review of acute inpatient mental health services has revealed the wide variety in the quality of services provided in NHS acute inpatient mental health services. (23 Jul 08).
Green paper proposes welfare reforms
The government has published a Green Paper to reform the welfare system, including proposals to abolish Incapacity Benefits and Income Support to create just two working-age benefits. (23 Jul 08).
New research highlights extent of stigma
A pioneering survey of more than 3,000 people who experience mental health problems has revealed the extent of stigma and discrimination in England. (22 Jul 08).
Minister in welfare reform web chat
The Works and Pension Secretary, James Purnell, well be taking part in a web chat to discuss work and welfare in the 21st century. (18 Jul 08).
MPs fear to disclose mental health problems
A report has revealed that whilst 1 in 5 MPs surveyed had experienced mental health problems, they were fearful to disclose this because of stigma and discrimination. (17 Jul 08).
Local involvement network established for Rutland
Rutland County Council has appointed the Shaw Trust to help provide residents with a brand new way of having a say and making a difference to health and social care and help run the Rutland Local Involvement Network (LINk). (7 Jul 08).
Consultation begins for National Dementia Strategy
Proposals have been put forward by the Department of Health to improve the quality of demntia care and provide more help for people with dementia. The Department of Health has begun a consultation for the first ever National Demential Strategy. (4 Jul 08).
Mental health units go smokefree
The Department of Health (DoH) has written to mental health trusts, care providers and strategic health authorities to remind them that mental health units need to be smokefree from 1 July 2008. (1 Jul 08).
June
Feeling Good Project aims to improve wellbeing in Braunstone
A new and exciting programme has gone live across Braunstone in Leicester. The ‘Feeling Good’ Project, is funded through BCA, and aims to improve mental wellbeing and enhance positive lifestyles for local residents. (25 Jun 08).
Consultation begins on County community health services
Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT has begun a public consultation as part of their review of community health services, including local community hospitals in Leicestershire and Rutland. (18 Jun08)
Local Rethink carers’ service short listed for East Midlands NHS Awards
Rethink Leicestershire County and Rutland Carers’ Service, were short-listed for the Mental Health and Wellbeing category of the NHS Health and Social Care Award scheme, set up as part of the NHS 60th anniversary celebrations. (5 Jun 08).
Public information film to tackle mental health in the workplace
A public information film designed to challenge employer assumptions about mental health and encourage them to look past any pre-conceptions is due to be aired on national television. (5 Jun 08).
Report on dementia inspections in care homes
A report has been published on new inspections aimed at improving the care of people with dementia living in care homes. The report was put together by the Commission for Social Care Inspection. (4 Jun 08).
Volunteer strategy consultation launched
A consultation has been launched as part of plans to encourage more volunteering opportunities and improve support for volunteers in the NHS, social care and the third sector. This will lead to a national volunteering strategy in 2009. (3 Jun 08).
Legislative changes on transfers between places of safety prior to assessement
The Home Office has made two legislative changes to the Mental Health Act 2007 concerning the transfer people between places of safety before a mental health assessment has been carried out. (2 Jun 08).
May
LINks to help people have their say on local services
Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are being set up to find out what people want from their local health and care services, to monitor and review the care that is provided and to ensure that services can be held to account by the local community. (30 May 08).
Report looks into the future cost of mental health services
A report looking into the current and future needs for mental health services and their related costs, has been published by the King's Fund. It suggests that without the right level of investment everyone will pay the price for wasted resources and wasted lives. (30 May 08).
Carers Federation appointed to host Leicester LINks
The Carers Federation has been appointed by Leicester City Council as the host organisation to run the Leicester City Local Involvement network. (22 May 08).
Charnwood's Walking Programme for 2008
Charnwood Borough Council's accredited walking for health programme has been running in the borough since 2004 and the programme for 2008 is now available. (15 May 08).
Write Muse Project aims to put the arts into work
An exciting opportunity has arisen for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) and voluntary sector staff to skill up and empower themselves for now and the future with a ground breaking one-day training session. (15 May 08).
Drug company advertising amnesty
An amnesty has been announced for drug company branded materials in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to turn them into works of art and re-sale back into the community. (14 May 08).
April
Senior walks in Melton to improve health and wellbeing
Active Together Melton has developed a programme of "senior walks" to help improve health and well-being over the Spring and Summer 2008. (29 Apr 08)
Invitation to tender for County Community Day Services
Leicestershire County Council in partnership with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has invited expressions of interest from organisations wishing to tender to provide mental health community day services to people in Leicestershire. (29 Apr 08).
Service users and carers asked to join fight to end stigma
People with experience of mental health problems and their carers are being given the opportunity to join an ambitious national project that aims to tackle stigma and discrimination, raise public awareness of mental health issues and improve mental and physical wellbeing in England. (21 Apr 08).
Audit of Trust's A & E services for Self harm
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) is undertaking an audit of the experiences of services for people who have visited casualty in Leicester because of self harm. (16 Apr 08).
Counselling - what do you think?
Whether or not you have been through counselling Daniel Holman would love to hear from you. Daniel is a research student at the University of Leicester who is interested in what everyday people think about counselling.
Views invited on fair access to social care services
An online survey has begun to find out what people think about social care services provided by councils, in particular the system used for deciding who is eligible for support. (9 Apr 08)
Football to help improve mental health
A new project to show the positive impact that football can have for people with mental health difficulties has been launched by the FA in collaboration with CSIP and other partners to encourage participation. (7 Apr 08).
Second wave for peer advocacy
After a very successful start to LAMP’s new Peer Advocacy service, the time is ripe to recruit even more Peer Advocates for training. (2 Apr 08).
New guidance updates Care Programme Approach
Following a consultation in 2006, the Department of Health has published a guidance that aims to refocus the Care Programme Approach (CPA) to ensure it is consistently and clearly applied nationally. (2 Apr 08).
March
Research on obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviours
Do you experience strong, repetitive thoughts that distress you and have to carry out regular, set acts/behaviours/ thoughts that make you feel less distressed/anxious? (17 Mar 08)
Mental Health Charter launched
A Charter for Mental Health for people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, setting out what should be expected from the services that provide mental health support and care is being launched. (4 Mar 08)
February
Future Bright: First NHS Open Art Show
People living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are invited to submit artwork of any kind to Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s first Open Art Show. (27 Feb 08).
Call for new focus on work-health balance
Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, has called for all employers to do more to promote the health and well-being of their staff. (25 Feb 08).
Council ratings published
The Audit Commission has published their 2007 Comprehensive Performance Assessment on how councils are delivering services to local people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. (7 Feb 08).
New health and social care complaints system to be introduced
A new streamlined and unified complaints system for health and social care aimed at making it easier for people to complain when things go wrong will be trialed from April before being rolled-out nationally in 2009. (7 Feb 08).
Work starts on a new carers strategy for Leicester
The City Council’s Adults and Housing Department is working together with Leicester City PCT to produce a new joint Carers Strategy for Leicester. (6 Feb 08).
Mental health and the workplace
The Times have written a series of reports around depression and the workplace and modern life. (5 Feb 08).
Have your say on health and social care services
Leicestershire County Council is setting up a Local Involvement Network, known as a LINk to make sure that local people, organisations and groups become an essential part of the planning process for services. (4 Feb 08).
January
Report highlights fear factor on mental health wards
A report by The Mental Health Act Commission has highlighted that acute mental health wards seem "tougher and scarier" than a decade ago and that patient safety, particularly for children and women, continues to be a problem. (30 Jan 08).
Your views needed on health priorities for 2008-9
Leicestershire County & Rutland PCT are inviting views on 16 health priorities they have identified for the next financial year, from April 2008 to March 2009. These are a mixture of local and national priorities. (30 Jan 08).
Meeting to discuss Bipolar support group in Melton and Rutland
A meeting has been arranged to bring together people who have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, (Manic Depression), those who suffer from mood swings and family and friends to explore the possibility of forming a self–help support group for Rutland and Melton. (30 Jan 08).
Retired local worker wins national award for helping vulnerable people
Mo Murray, a former director of West Leicestershire Care and Repair has received a lifetime achievement award for the dedication and high level of service she gave over 18 years. (29 Jan 08).
Report highlights failings of dementia services and calls for improvements
A report looking at dementia services finds many failings and sets out what should be done to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers. (24 Jan 08).
Single agency to deal with pensions, disability and carers
The Government has announced that the separate services for pensions, disability and carers will be brought together to form a single agency. (22 Jan 08).
'One in Four' campaign pack now available
A campaign pack of promotional materials has been made available to help raise awareness of mental health and showcase the talent that many people with mental health difficulties have. (18 Jan 08).
Ex LAMP Advocate appointed Senior Lecturer
Matthew Gough, former LAMP advocate and Voluntary Sector Mental Health Partnership Officer will soon take up the post of Senior Lecturer, Mental Health at Nottingham Trent University. (10 Jan 08).
Mind to tackle worries about debt
Mind will be campaigning during 2008 on the link between debt and mental health, after being awarded £95k by the Financial Services Authority. (8 Jan 08).
NHS Health and Social Care Awards for East Midlands launched
The NHS Health and Social Care Awards for 2008 has been launched to identify and celebrate innovation and improvement across the East Midlands. (8 Jan 08).