Report finds ‘high rate of admission’ of minority groups to mental health services

The Healthcare Commission has announced the publication of its census of ethnicity of inpatients currently using learning disability and mental health service.

It found that some minority ethnic groups are over three times more likely to be admitted as inpatients in facilities of this type compared to members of other groups.

The commission notes that differences in both the routes to hospital admission and rates of mental illness are a result of a number of complex factors, including family and social support and socio-economic variables.

It highlights the necessity of partnership working to enhance prevention and management of mental illness for black and ethnic minority members of the community.

Anna Walker, chief executive of the Healthcare Commission, said: “We need better information about patients in independent mental health services if we are to monitor quality of care, particularly at a time when the number of patients in independent services is rising.”

She added that a dialogue with mental health and learning disability organisations and local agencies is essential to meet the challenges in delivering care to patients from wide ranging ethnic backgrounds.

In November 2007, the government announced a 31 million pound rise in funding for the improvement of facilities in Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services nationwide.